Kellogg Uses Green Electricity In Fulfilling Sustainability Goals
By Sam Lewis
Cereal giant offsets nearly half its energy costs at California plant
The maker of popular cereals like Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, and Frosted Flakes has been hard at work to dramatically increase its sustainability efforts. The company’s San Jose, CA plant is the most recent place where its carbon footprint can be seen diminishing each day.
“We're focused on introducing new processes and technology that minimize the environmental impact of our operations,” says Diane Holdorf, chief sustainability officer at Kellogg. In late September, Kellogg installed a new fuel cell technology in its San Jose, CA bakery, which manufactures the company’s Eggo brand waffles. “The fuel cell technology generates one megawatt of electricity on site,” says Holdorf. “This offsets almost half of the electricity Kellogg purchases from the utility provider.”
The new technology was provided by Bloom Energy to give the Eggo plant appropriate amounts of energy for its fluctuating needs. The technology converts natural gas into energy in a reaction that is more efficient than combustion. “This new solution is a win-win. We're maximizing our production while creating energy-efficient solutions for making waffles,” reads the company’s press release. The company also says the new system uses less water to create energy than it would be using had it been supplied from the utility grid. The installation of new fuel cell technology at Kellogg is part of the company’s broader sustainability plan. The company pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy use by 15 to 30 percent between 2005 and 2015.
Kellogg continuously searches for new manufacturing process and techniques to improve efficiencies and lower costs. On top of the new fuel cells at the Eggo plant, the company has invested in energy-efficient waffle irons to produce one of its best-selling products. According to Holdorf, the new waffle irons reduce energy costs by about 20 percent, and their design raises efficiency more than 10 percent per cycle.
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