Bundaberg Rum Distillery Aims to Achieve Net Zero Emissions by 2030

As part of its efforts to achieve net zero emissions, Bundaberg Rum Distillery installed a 160 kW solar panel system. The goal is to reduce carbon emissions in its direct operations by 2030.

The solar panels are located on the roof of Bundaberg’s Visitor Experience Centre and car park. They are expected to help reduce electricity consumption by an estimated 260 megawatt hours annually and save around 200 metric tons of CO2 emissions every year.

The company uses Green Power from the National Green Power Accreditation Program for its remaining energy requirements. According to the company, the plan is underpinned by firm targets. It is the equivalent of the electricity required to charge almost 25 million smartphones.

Adding this solar panel system is a positive step toward making the distillery’s operations more sustainable. The main reason is that this important move will help reduce carbon emissions and significantly minimize the cost of electricity used at the facility.

In the last decade, Bundaberg Rum Distillery has continually made changes and set new targets to minimize its operations and products’ environmental impact. Almost 70% of their total energy usage is renewable, which means that only 30% comes from the grid. They also source the steam for their distillation process from the Millaquin Mill, which uses bagasse as a biofuel to generate green steam.

Moreover, the amount of water they use to make one liter of rum has decreased by 35% in the last few years. They also produce a significant amount of by-products, known as dunder, which are used as fertilizer on local farms, representing a truly circular economy.

Finally, Bundaberg Rum Distillery has a proven track record when it comes to targets since it has achieved its sustainable goals. Measuring against its 2007 baseline carbon emissions, Bundaberg Distilling Company’s parent company, Diageo, exceeded its 2020 global target of a 50% reduction by 17%. 

Featured image source: Bundaberg Now