Why Strategic Solar Boost is key to Kimberly-Clark
When you consider the sustainability of household brands like Kleenex, it's easy to focus solely on raw materials such as paper.
However, the energy consumed during the production process also plays a major role.
Kimberly-Clark, the corporation behind popular brands including Kleenex, Huggies and Kotex, has recently embarked on an exciting collaboration with BNZ.
This partnership covers three virtual solar power purchase agreements (vPPAs) spanning multiple countries.
Oriol Margó, Sustainability Leader at Kimberly-Clark, says: “Kimberly-Clark's collaboration with BNZ is another example of our dedication to make progress in our decarbonisation journey.
“The renewable energy generation of the new solar farms will be equivalent to over 40% of the total electricity consumed by our European production facilities.
“Energy transformation is a key priority for us and through these projects we are increasing the amount of renewable electricity available in the grids that we draw from, which also benefits the community.
“We continue to invest in the future of the planet, our business and our industry, with our consumers and customers in mind, and hope to encourage other organisations to do the same.”
Introducing BNZ
BNZ is an independent entity that develops, builds and operates solar photovoltaic projects predominantly in Southern Europe.
With a clear mission of generating 100% renewable energy, BNZ is part of the expansive portfolio of Nuveen Infrastructure, one of Europe’s foremost renewable energy fund managers.
Rodrigo López, BNZ’s Head of Revenues, shares insights into the significance of their latest partnership: “This multi-country PPA agreement with a leading industrial client committed to sustainability represents a significant milestone for BNZ.
“At the same time, it reflects a growing trend: more and more companies are choosing long-term contracts that not only ensure energy stability but also reinforce their responsibility to create a more sustainable world.
“This shift not only benefits businesses but also drives meaningful progress for society and the economy as a whole.”
Kimberly-Clark's commitment to sustainability
“Sustainability is a key component of the Kimberly-Clark innovation strategy,” said Mike Hsu, Chairman and CEO at Kimberly-Clark in its 2023 Sustainability Report.
“As the world becomes increasingly complex, we at Kimberly-Clark will continue to raise the bar for ourselves in how we serve the needs of consumers, customers, employees, society and shareholders.”
Kimberly-Clark is set to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 (from a 2015 base year).
They are equally committed to reducing their plastic footprint and enhancing the well-being of a billion people in vulnerable and underserved communities.
Green energy strategic moves
Detailed plans for Kimberly-Clark’s vPPAs with BNZ involve two projects in Italy and one in Spain, expected to commence in the second quarter of 2025.
The Italian projects are located in Camposcala and Rinaldone, while the Spanish project sits in Santa Catalina.
These vPPAs are forecasted to generate 164GWh of renewable electricity annually, covering more than 40% of the total electricity consumption across Kimberly-Clark’s Western and Central European facilities.
Additionally, Kimberly-Clark has supported several other renewable projects, including a £75m (US$96m) onshore wind farm in Scotland, rooftop solar photovoltaic systems in Cape Town, South Africa and one of the largest systems of its kind at their Salamanca facility in Spain, boosting their annual green power output significantly.
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