Taking pride in solar power

One of New Zealand’s largest rooftop solar arrays is taking shape at New Zealand’s largest brewery - Lion NZ’s state-of-the-art brewery in East Auckland.

Lion NZ Managing Director Craig Baldie, says solar energy is a sustainable and sensible commercial decision, which aligns with Lion’s decarbonisation commitments.

“At 1.21 megawatts and comprising 2,424 panels, it’s estimated that solar energy will provide 14.4% of the brewery’s electricity needs – equivalent to approximately 228 average households.

“As a net carbon zero certified company we are committed to ongoing decarbonisation of our business. Brewing is an energy intensive process. At the Pride, our state-of-the-art brewery in East Tamaki, Lion can process 160,000 cans and bottles per hour across the four production lines and we produce many of New Zealand’s best loved beverage brands including Steinlager, Speight’s, Mac’s and Kirin Hyoketsu.

“Since 2019 – our Science Based Targets baseline year – we have reduced Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions at the Pride by 13 percent per kilolitre of beverage produced. By investing in solar, we will increase our reliance on new renewable energy generation, reduce our carbon emissions further and free up more than a megawatt of demand from the national grid.”

Ten years in the making, the project was given the green light in August last year.

“The Pride opened in 2010 but wasn’t expressly designed for rooftop solar. One of the things we had to work out was whether the roof could hold the weight as well as balance the costs.

“For the project, we undertook a significant structural assessment, and the design was engineered for the safe capacity of the roof. Covering an area of around 5,400m2 the solar array weighs in at more than 74,000kgs.

Lion is partnering with Meridian Energy and Reid Technology on this turnkey solar solution. The structural work began in September, and the first panels started to be installed in February.

Meridian Chief Customer Officer Lisa Hannifin says the company is extremely proud to be supporting Lion with its solar plans.

“Lion is showing amazing leadership in this space and it’s another important step on New Zealand’s journey towards an electric future. Energy contributes around 40% of New Zealand’s total gross emissions, so this switch by Lion will provide lasting sustainability benefits for the wider community.”

The project is expected to be completed around the end of March and is being funded through a Power Purchase Agreement with Meridian.

“Along with the sustainability benefits, it’s also a smart commercial investment with a Power Purchase Agreement providing predictable electricity costs and a less than seven-year payback period.

“Adding solar electricity into the mix was a logical and exciting milestone for us. We are proud to have been net carbon zero across the whole organisation, including all breweries, manufacturing sites, offices and venues since 2021, and we continue to explore ways to be more efficient and sustainable across everything we do,” said Mr Baldie.