100% renewable energy supplied by Colbún to customers free of charge increases by 219% in 2022
A total of 88 companies received the “Colbún Renewable Energy Certificate” from the verification carried out by EY Chile. “Our customers drive us to continue to innovate and are the engines of energy change,” said Jose Ignacio Escobar, CEO of Colbun.
Colbún commercializes and certifies renewable energy among its customers in 2022, a three-fold increase over 2021 to reach 4,668 annual GWh of energy. In turn, the number of certified companies increased to 88 from 79 in 2021.
The market for large energy consumers – so-called free consumers – has seen an explosive growth in recent years, given their growing tendency to favor 100% renewable energy supply. Colbún’s clients include a diverse universe of retail mining companies, agricultural companies, food companies, alcohol companies, cement companies, and many more, among others.
“Our customers drive us to continue to innovate and are the engines of energy change. They are the ones who demand more and more renewable energy from us through their sustainability goals. At Colbún we aim to supply this renewable energy but at the same time have to be safe, continuous and 24/7, for which our reservoirs in the south and the storage projects we have in the north play an increasingly important role”, said José Ignacio Escobar, CEO of Colbun, “A Sustainable Future : Celebrating Companies Committed to Clean Energy” meeting, an instance in which Kolbun recognized the 88 free customers who received their Emission-Free Energy Certificates.
These certificates, prepared with data verified by the firm EY Chile, guarantee that companies joining the initiative have a 100% renewable energy supply. Taken together, the amount of energy certified in 2022 would make it possible to avoid emissions of more than one million tonnes of CO2 per year, which is equivalent to taking 374,000 cars off the road or planting more than 13 million trees.
On his part, Valentina Lira, Sustainability Manager of Viña Concha y Toro -a Colbún client company, addressed the company’s tasks and challenges regarding the use of renewable energy. “We started down this path many years ago and today we see it being consolidated through initiatives like our Colbún certification and our Green-e certification, which allows us to label our products. The initiative will have to continue to develop so that more companies can connect to clean and decarbonized energy through responsible and renewable generators such as Colbún ”, he highlighted.
Since 2013, Chile has a program called Huella Chile, an initiative that is part of the Ministry of Environment and whose main objective is to promote the calculation, reporting and management of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in public and private sector organizations in the country . Country. Johanna Arriagada, a professional from the Climate Change Division and coordinator of the ministry’s means of implementation, attended the meeting. “To reach the carbon neutrality goal, we must all reduce greenhouse gas emissions … and for this each organization will have to take specific actions, such as switching energy sources from fossil fuels to renewables”, he commented.
Finally, Ana Luisa Vergara and Daniel Gordon, both from Colbun’s Environment and Sustainability Management, talked about initiatives the company is taking in areas such as environmental footprint, biodiversity, dialogue and community development, good practices with contractors and suppliers regarding sustainability. Gender equality and governance. It should be noted that the event was carbon neutral.
certified companies
With regard to the clients that have obtained this certification, a wide variety of sectors (agribusiness, food, commerce and retail, mining, and technology, among others) stand out, as well as throughout Chile (from Arica to Puerto Montt). He has a place. This diversity demonstrates the relevance of caring for the environment for these companies.
Prior to the distribution of the certificates, Colbún’s commercial manager, Juan Salinas, confirmed that “the renewable energy certification that Colbún distributes is a reliable, transparent, traceable and auditable process, which allows us to guarantee that 100% of the energy consumption of companies, industries and businesses comes from renewable energy sources. This certification is our customers’ commitment to sustainable development, and we want to be an ally in that process.”
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Innova Portal
