PepsiCo Portugal announced the start of a new project at the Carregado snack factory that aligns with the PepsiCo Positive (pep+) strategy for sustainability. The $8.15 million investment in a new biodigester will transform organic waste into biogas reducing overall carbon emissions.
In addition to achieving a 30% reduction in the unit's carbon emissions, the biodigester will also contribute to reducing gas consumption, allowing the installation to use the biogas produced during the anaerobic digestion process directly as fuel in the various stages of production and for cleaning the production lines.
Fernando Moraga, Country Manager of PepsiCo in Portugal, said: "We are proud to kick off the year with the announcement of this pioneering project in Southern Europe, which is a major step in the transformation process towards a Positive Value Chain. With the new biodigester, we will operate more efficiently with the planet by creating alternative energy solutions."
Since 2012, the Carregado plant has relied on a biogas production system that allows it to reduce its electricity consumption by 50%. It implemented a heat-reuse project in the ovens used to make Doritos, which allows energy normally wasted from chimneys to be recovered and turned into steam. This enabled the plant to reduce its use of natural gas by 5%.
Although PepsiCo already uses electricity from sustainable sources at all its facilities in Portugal. In late 2022, the company announced an energy purchase agreement (PPA) with global energy leader, Iberdrola. Under the terms of the PPA, the electricity company will supply 100% renewable electricity to all the beverage and food multinational's centers in Spain and Portugal
PepsiCo is committed to increasing its efforts to reduce GHG emissions by more than 40% by 2030 and achieve zero net emissions by 2040, a decade ahead of the Paris Agreement. PepsiCo plans to reduce GHG emissions in its direct operations by 75% and in its indirect operations by 40% by 2030. Together, this action is expected to contribute to a reduction of more than 23.5 emissions worldwide.