SPIES Packaging invests in green energy generation - the creation of the Gesmold solar park

SPIES Packaging is one of the leading companies in the production of injection-molded plastic packaging based in Melle. With the start of construction of the "Solarpark Gesmold" Spies is setting the course for a more sustainable future and is taking another major step towards supplying green energy.

With the investment and the already started construction of the ten-megawatt Gesmold solar park, carried out by JUWI, a renewable energy specialist, SPIES is sending a strong signal of its commitment to sustainability and at the same time investing in security of supply. Construction work on the solar park, which is located in the immediate vicinity of the SPIES site, began in mid-March and marks the start of a project that is considered a beacon for climate-friendly energy supply in the industrial sector.

After successful commissioning, which is planned for this year, SPIES will be able to obtain the electricity generated from the solar park via a direct line and thus cover more than 20% of its total electricity requirements. This will lead to a significant reduction in the ecological footprint and thus have a positive impact on the company's sustainability balance. The direct supply of solar power underlines SPIES' ambition to combine economic and ecological goals while stabilizing energy costs and thus ensuring security of supply and location security.

With well over 18,000 modules, the solar park produces around 10 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year on an area of around 10 hectares, 70-80 percent of which is intended for SPIES' own use. The additional electricity produced is fed into the public grid and can be used as green electricity for the region.

And that's not all: SPIES has set itself the goal of achieving climate-neutral production (according to Scope 1 and 2) at the Gesmold site.

In order to achieve this, the company is also investing in a variety of different energy efficiency measures, such as the continuous modernization of ventilation, lighting and compressed air systems and the ongoing renewal and optimization of production lines. Combined in an established energy management system, all these measures are monitored, controlled and optimized by a team of experts at SPIES.

The Gesmold solar park is also set to become a flagship project in terms of species protection. After commissioning, the park will be transformed into extensive grassland with local seeds, in which flora and fauna can develop well. Flower strips on the site and wild hedges around the site will provide additional habitats for animals. A flowerbed is to be created for the breeding pairs of lapwings spotted on the site. This is a large depression in the terrain that is temporarily filled with water, especially in spring, and serves as a feeding habitat for the lapwing. In addition, a meadow orchard covering an area of around one hectare will be created as a compensatory measure.