RWE, the UK’s largest power generator and a leading renewable energy company, has signed a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Breedon Group plc, a leading essential construction materials provider. Under the 15-year agreement, RWE will supply around 70 gigawatt hours of renewable electricity per year from its wind portfolio to Breedon’s sites across Great Britain, supporting the company’s transition to lower carbon operations. Power will initially be supplied from RWE’s Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind farm, located approximately 15 miles off the coast of North Wales in the Irish Sea. From 2033, the Brechfa Forest West Onshore Wind farm in Wales will provide the renewable power. The renewable power will be used to support the production of aggregates, asphalt, ready mixed concrete, cement production, and other essential building products. It will help to reduce Scope 2 emissions from electricity consumption in an industry where decarbonisation is both critical and complex.
Olaf Lubenow, Head of Commodity Solutions UK, North & South Europe at RWE, said: “We are delighted to have concluded this long-term PPA with Breedon. The agreement underlines our commitment to supporting the construction materials sector on its journey towards a more sustainable future. By supplying reliable renewable electricity from our wind portfolio, we are helping to reduce the carbon footprint of Breedon’s operations while supporting their ambition to build a more sustainable construction materials business.”
Donna Hunt, Group Sustainability Director at Breedon, commented: “Entering this Power Purchase Agreement with RWE is a meaningful step forward in our sustainability journey. It not only secures long-term energy stability for Breedon but also accelerates the decarbonisation of our operations and supports our continued investment in innovative, lower carbon products and solutions for the built environment. More broadly, it reflects our commitment to responsible, long-term growth, transparent ESG performance, and delivering lasting value for our stakeholders as we help shape a more sustainable construction sector.”
Supporting Breedon’s net zero ambitions
Breedon has set Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) approved near-term and net zero targets, committing to reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, as well as Scope 3 emissions from purchased clinker and cement, by 23.3% by 2030, from a 2022 baseline, and to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain by 2050. The increased use of renewable electricity, alongside fuel switching, energy efficiency measures and participation in innovative decarbonisation projects such as carbon capture, underlines Breedon’s commitment to supporting a more sustainable built environment and accelerating the transition to a low-carbon construction sector.
Pictures of RWE’s wind farms Gwynt y Môr and Brechfa Forest West are available at the RWE Media Centre (Credit: RWE).
