Germany's REWE Group has announced that its meat production company Wilhelm Brandenburg is investing around €4.5 million in a sustainable cooling supply system at its Timmendorfer Strand production site.
Wilhelm Brandenburg added that it expects to reduce power consumption by around 20% with the new refrigeration system.
In mathematical terms, it amounts to annual savings of 2,300 megawatt hours, which is sufficient to supply 600 single-family homes with electricity for twelve months.
'Green Electricity'
Like all companies in the REWE Group, Wilhelm Brandenburg has been using certified green electricity since 2008.
The 'energy-efficient' technology also enables the total cooling quantity of ammonia to be halved, noise sources to be reduced, and achieve significantly increased operational and accident protection.
The Wilhelm Brandenburg production facilities have belonged to the REWE Group since 1986, the company noted. With a turnover of around €700 million and more than 2,900 employees, it is the largest private-label supplier for the retail markets of REWE and Penny.
Julian Hertzig, managing director of Wilhelm Brandenburg, said, “Timmendorfer Strand plays an important role in the interaction of our six production sites. With the renewal of the refrigeration technology, we are setting an example for climate protection at the location and we are making a long-term commitment to Timmendorfer Strand."
"The start of construction for the new, sustainable cooling centre was in March 2022. In addition to the significantly lower power consumption, we were again able to significantly increase operational and environmental safety," Hertzig added.
'Clear Commitment'
State secretary Julia Carstens said the investment in the Timmendorfer Strand facility is a "clear commitment" to Schleswig-Holstein as a business location.
"Many companies have other things on their mind than the next major investment. Wilhelm Brandenburg shows that there is another way. In this way, the company makes an important contribution to securing the workforce, strengthening the local economy and achieving the major goal of climate neutrality," Carstens added.
© 2023 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest supply chain news. Article by Robert McHugh. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
