ASIA PACIFIC BREWERIES SINGAPORE PARTNERS REC FOR SOLAR INSTALLATION PROJECT, PAVING THE WAY FOR CLEAN ENERGY ADOPTION IN SINGAPORE

Leading the charge for sustainable business practices here, Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore (APBS) and Renewable Energy Corporation (REC) have announced today, a landmark partnership that will see the home-grown brewery make the leap towards solar energy.In a pioneering Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) inked with REC, the leading global provider of solar energy solutions, clean energy will be provided for APBS’ facilities. This agreement will see REC’s award-winning, high-performance TwinPeak panels mounted across three rooftops at APBS, making it the largest rooftop solar installation for HEINEKEN globally. APBS is a HEINEKEN operating company.

At 2.196 megawatt peak (MWp), this solar installation is approximately four times the size of typical corporate solar installation projects. This collaboration represents HEINEKEN’s first solar installation project in the Asia Pacific region and also its largest rooftop installation worldwide. It is also one of REC’s biggest carbon-saving initiatives to date.

Scheduled to run for the next 25 years, this PPA will see APBS generate approximately 2.3 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean energy annually, enough power to meet the annual power consumption of 600 four-room HDB households here. Generated through 8,038 REC solar panels that are made in Singapore and spanning an area equivalent to three FIFA football fields in size, the resulting renewable energy helps APBS mitigate 1,500 tonnes of carbon emissions annually, reducing its carbon footprint by approximately 20%.

As a socially-responsible business, reducing carbon emissions, protecting water resources and advocating the responsible consumption of alcohol form key pillars that drive APBS’ corporate sustainability strategy towards Brewing a Better World – its long term approach to create shared and sustainable value for its stakeholders and community that it operates in.

“At APBS, sustainability is very much a business imperative. This launch is a milestone in our journey towards Brewing a Better World, and through our PPA with REC, places us at the forefront of sustainability within the manufacturing industry here. We hope this partnership will pave the way for the future adoption of clean energy initiatives within the various commercial industries,” said Kenneth Choo, Managing Director, HEINEKEN Asia Pacific.

Set at the home of the iconic Tiger Beer, this initiative will also mean that every Tiger Beer consumed in Singapore will be ‘Brewed by the Sun’. A ‘Brewed by the Sun’ icon (right) will be introduced to Tiger Beer’s packaging in due time.

The renewable energy generated through this initiative dovetails APBS’ sustainability efforts with our nation’s newly outlined environmental targets announced in July, ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference set for end November.

“The PPA model will change the way businesses view renewable energy. Through this model, REC absorbs the investment and maintenance costs of installing solar systems on rooftops. Building owners need only pay for the consumed solar energy generated from their roofs at an agreed rate which is fixed for the next 25 years,” said Steve O’Neil, Chief Executive Officer, REC.

Committed to its vision that every person benefits from electricity generated directly from the sun, this project marks a milestone in REC’s efforts to meet current and future demands of the industry in Singapore and the region. A leading global provider of solar energy solutions, REC helps organizations, large and small, achieve their energy needs through efficient and sustainable solar products.

Building upon its decades of experience, innovation and success to deliver high-quality products that are priced competitively to encourage the adoption of solar-generated power throughout Asia, Mr. O’Neil added:  “We are delighted that APBS has embarked on this journey with us. The adoption of solar technology allows our partner companies to operate in a responsible and sustainable manner for both people and the environment, and we believe this to be the first of many such future partnerships as we help shape the future of sustainable energy adoption here and in the region.”