YLEM Energy announces agreement with global spirits company Brown-Forman to install a new industry-leading energy management system at its Newbridge bottling plant and logistics hub near Edinburgh.
In addition to helping the bottling plant nearly half its energy consumption, the new partnership will enable Brown-Forman to gain greater control of its operating costs, increase efficiencies and support its wider sustainability and energy security goals.
It also demonstrates the company’s ongoing efforts to support the Scotch Whisky Association’s ‘Race to Zero’ – an industry-wide pledge to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040.
Having conducted a comprehensive technical assessment of the Newbridge bottling plant, YLEM will begin to implement targeted refurbishment work to install a fully modernised energy control solution.
The new partnership follows a successful three-year relationship between Brown-Forman and YLEM, which originally built a 630 kilowatt (KW) solar panel installation at the same site in April 2023 to provide 516,000 kilowatt peak (kWp) of clean, renewable energy each year. This work enabled the business to export excess electricity generated back to the National Grid.
Andy Battjes, director, Global Environmental, Health, Safety and Sustainability at Brown-Forman, commented, “Our new agreement with YLEM demonstrates the company’s long-term strategic commitment to renewable energy and harnessing the latest control technology to drive forward efficiencies and achieve our ambitious sustainability goals.
“We’ve seen first-hand the positive impact YLEM’s solar energy installation has had on our Newbridge bottling plant over the last three years, in terms of the consistent volumes of solar power we’re able to produce annually and the reduction in both business operating costs and carbon emissions. This new installation will build on that success and put us a step closer to achieving our global aim of sourcing 100% of our electricity from renewable sources by 2030.”
Ian Gadsby, managing director of YLEM Energy said, “Working with Brown-Forman showcases our ability to deliver a range of on-site renewable energy generation solutions that can help companies in Scotland overcome legacy power supply challenges and become more sustainable.
“Installing our Optimise management platform also gives Brown-Forman much greater control over its energy usage at a time when firms across all sectors are coming under increasing pressure to reduce operating costs and emissions. The technology now available can be a game-changer for many Scottish businesses as we look to help accelerate the transition to a cleaner, low-carbon economy.”
