Saint-Gobain Signs a New Major Renewable Electricity Supply Agreement in North America

COURBEVOIE, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Saint-Gobain has signed a 15-year renewable electricity supply agreement (Power Purchase Agreement or PPA) with TotalEnergies for the purchase of solar power for its 125 industrial sites in North America (United States and Canada).

This 100 MW PPA, known as the Danish Fields Solar Project (Danish Fields), is expected to offset Saint-Gobain’s North American CO₂ emissions from electricity (scope 2 emissions) by 90,000 Metric Tons per year. The project is expected to come online by the end of 2024.

Danish Fields is the third PPA signed in North America by Saint-Gobain. The first PPA, with the Blooming Grove Wind Farm in Illinois, was signed in 2020, and the second, with TotalEnergies’ Cottonwood Bayou Solar Project in Texas, was signed in 2022. All three projects have been supported by Edison Energy, a leading energy and sustainability advisory that consults with the largest commercial, industrial and institutional energy users.

Commenting on this agreement, Mark Rayfield, CEO of Saint-Gobain North America, said: “With this agreement, Saint-Gobain North America will further reduce its CO₂ emissions, demonstrating how fast the manufacturing industry can transform when long term solutions are at hand. This renewable energy project is a new milestone on the way to meeting Saint-Gobain’s commitment to reduce scope 1 and 2 CO₂ emissions by 33% by 2030 - compared to 2017 - and to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.”

“Saint-Gobain continues to prove its dedication to sustainability through innovation and a multifaceted approach to decarbonization,” said Joey Lange, Managing Director, Energy Supply Advisory, Edison Energy. “Edison Energy is proud to support Saint-Gobain’s renewable energy procurement in North America and looks forward to seeing all three utility- scale projects generating renewable energy in the near future.”

The three projects combined are expected to represent a reduction of more than 70% in Saint-Gobain North America’s scope 2 emissions, compared to 2017 levels.

This project follows several other recent actions taken by the company to solidify its commitment towards sustainability:

• Last month, Saint-Gobain announced a circular economy initiative in its Ceramics business, where scrap finished goods from its Bryan, Texas facility are sent to other Saint-Gobain Ceramics plants to be reused in production, instead of ending in landfills.
• In July, the company announced upgrades at its CertainTeed Insulation plant in Athens, GA, which is projected to save over 7,300 MWh of energy and 20 million gallons of water annually, while reducing landfill waste by over 5,000 MT.
• Also in July, Saint-Gobain announced the opening of a new CertainTeed Architectural facility in Conyers, GA, which will be co-located with finishing partner QPC, allowing the company to drastically reduce the distance products must travel to finalize production, reducing carbon emissions by over 50 million pounds per year.
• In June, Saint-Gobain announced that it had been awarded a 2023 SEAL Business Sustainability Award for its work to create the first “net zero-carbon” gypsum wallboard facility for scope 1 and 2 emissions in North America at its plant outside Montreal, Quebec.
• In May, CertainTeed Siding announced the completion of a submetering system at its Jackson, Michigan Siding facility, saving more than 9 million gallons of water per year.
• In April, CertainTeed Canada surpassed one million tonnes of gypsum recycled and returned to production at its Vancouver plant.
• In February, Saint-Gobain, through its building products subsidiary CertainTeed Roofing, acquired the rights to technology from recycling partner Asphaltica that will allow the company to recycle asphalt shingle waste, diverting it from landfill and furthering the company’s commitment to creating a circular economy in its production of roofing shingles.

ABOUT SAINT-GOBAIN

Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. Its integrated solutions for the renovation of public and private buildings, light construction and the decarbonization of construction and industry are developed through a continuous innovation process and provide sustainability and performance. The Group’s commitment is guided by its purpose, “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME”.

€51.2 billion in sales in 2022
168,000 employees, located in 75 countries
Committed to achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2050