Europe's largest drinks manufacturing plant has achieved the international energy management standard, ISO 50001.
Coca Cola’s Wakefield site is thought to be the first in the food and drinks sector to be certified to 50001, which forms part of the US firm’s plans to make the Yorkshire plant one of the most efficient in the world.
Since 2007, Coca Cola has invested £51 million in improving its operations at Wakefield, which produces 6,000 cans of soft drinks every minute. The plant has cut water consumption by 10% and energy use by 16.5%, and adopted 50001 in its bid further Coca Cola’s ambition to become a low-carbon business.
“The whole team at Wakefield is committed to reducing our impact on the environment,” said Daniel Watts, management systems implementation manager at Coca-Cola Enterprises. “Achieving this new standard shows how serious we are about our energy performance and will help us drive forward with new efficiencies and cut our carbon footprint, and costs, even further.”
Ana Inacio, an auditor at Coca Cola’s certification body SGS said: “The energy efficiency improvement projects in Wakefield are an excellent example of how a global company can take the leadership and make a difference in the sustainability arena.”
Ahead of the plant’s certification, the firm installed 80 meters to measure energy consumption of equipment, processes and production lines across the site. The corporate responsibility and sustainability team also runs programmes to engage employees and ensure equipment is run as efficiently as possible.
Coca Cola follows in the footsteps of the UK’s largest train operator Northern Rail, which achieved certification against 50001 in October.
