Vidrala, a leading group in glass packaging manufacturing, has installed a 7 MW self-consumption photovoltaic plant at its Llodio factory, in Spain, in line with its commitment to a competitive, autonomous and sustainable industrial model.
This new facility, one of the largest solar self-generation projects in the Basque Country, will be installed across 30,000 square metres of existing rooftop space and represents a significant leap in the decarbonisation of the production process.
The initiative is part of the company’s global strategy, which focuses on increasing investment to improve process efficiency, decarbonising competitively, and building a more sovereign energy system that is less exposed to price volatility and electricity market tensions. In fact, thanks to its ongoing investments in efficiency and renewable energy, Vidrala maintains one of the lowest emission ratios in the sector. The new photovoltaic infrastructure will allow for a reduction of 1,909 tonnes of CO2 in Scope 2 (market-based) emissions, equivalent to roughly 400 laps around the world by car.
The integration of renewable energy for self-consumption is a key step for the Álava-based plant. In addition to housing the corporate headquarters of this multinational—which operates across Southern Europe, the UK and South America—the site manufactures around 500 million glass containers per year. Vidrala’s investment in Llodio, totalling EUR 3.2 million, will also receive a 25 percent incentive funded by the Basque Government.
The Group is driving its decarbonisation roadmap through several strategic levers, most notably increasing the use of recycled glass, the progressive electrification of furnaces and the replacement of natural gas with more sustainable energy sources.