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AstraZeneca has established a 15-year partnership with Future Biogas.
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AstraZeneca's collaboration with Future Biogas serves as a blueprint for the commercial adoption of renewable gas in the UK.
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Operational by early 2025, the biomethane facility will provide 100 GWh of energy annually to AstraZeneca sites in the UK.
AstraZeneca is taking significant steps to drive its transition to a net-zero carbon future. The company has forged a 15-year partnership with Future Biogas, marking a milestone in the UK's sustainable energy landscape. This collaboration aims to establish the UK's first industrial-scale, unsubsidized supply of biomethane gas and investments to enhance energy efficiency across its operations, culminating in a total commitment of £100 million.
The biomethane facility will become operational in early 2025 and will provide energy to AstraZeneca's sites in Macclesfield, Cambridge, Luton, and Speke with an annual supply of 100 gigawatt hours (GWh). Notably, this partnership is projected to slash emissions by approximately 20,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) while adding renewable energy capacity to the national gas grid.
The introduction of the anaerobic digestion facility and the long-term alliance with Future Biogas serve as a model for the commercial adoption of renewable gas within the UK. This endeavor will be pivotal in advancing the country's journey toward net-zero emissions by fostering a competitive biomethane market.
Furthermore, AstraZeneca is taking measures to support the transition to clean heat in the UK. Notably, substantial energy efficiency improvements are planned for the Macclesfield campus, the UK's largest medicines development and manufacturing site. These enhancements include a major overhaul of the site's combined heat and power plant (CHP), which is expected to save an additional 16,000 tonnes of CO2e annually. Concurrently, the company will upgrade buildings and refine the production and packaging processes for medicines to further reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These efficiency initiatives will ensure the long-term sustainability of the Macclesfield campus, which plays a vital role in delivering medicines to over 130 countries, totaling more than 90 million packs.
AstraZeneca's transition to 100% renewable energy is a central component of its flagship Ambition Zero Carbon program. The program is dedicated to achieving deep decarbonization by cutting the company's entire value chain footprint (Scopes 1 to 3) in half by 2030 and attaining science-based net-zero status by 2045 at the latest. The company is well on track to achieve a remarkable 98% reduction in GHG emissions from its global operations (Scopes 1 and 2) by 2026.
The new facility will rely on locally sourced crops as feedstock and actively support farms practicing sustainable land management. This approach will foster the development of a circular agricultural economy, with bioenergy crops cultivated as part of diverse crop rotations, complemented by regenerative agriculture practices that promote nutrient cycling and enhance soil health.
Renewable Gas Guarantee of Origin (RGGO) certificates will be transferred to AstraZeneca to avoid double counting of emissions reductions.
Moreover, the plant will be equipped with bioenergy carbon capture and storage capability (BECCS), offering the potential for carbon-negative operation. AstraZeneca's aim is to sequester carbon through the 'Northern Lights' project in Norway, a joint venture involving industry stakeholders and supported by the Norwegian Government.
This latest commitment to renewable energy in the UK follows other innovative partnerships unveiled earlier this year. In the US, the company is collaborating with Vanguard Renewables to enable the supply of biomethane to all its US sites by the end of 2026. Additionally, AstraZeneca has entered into an agreement with Statkraft, Europe's largest renewable energy producer, to increase the supply of renewable electricity in Sweden.