IKEA is investing in first wind farm in the United States Bashny.Net

Construction of a 98-megawatt wind power plant "Hupston" became the largest investment project of the Group IKEA in the field of renewable energy.





IKEA announced the purchase of wind power plant "Hupston" in Illinois – the first investment project in the development of wind power, IKEA in the United States. This transaction is a significant step in achieving the company's goals: by 2020, to increase the volume of the produced renewable energy to the level of consumption. Currently the project is under construction by the company Apex Clean Energy. It is planned that by the first half of 2015, it will operate in full.



"The United States has the inexhaustible wind and solar resources. Investments in this project are of great importance from the point of view of increasing the number of jobs, energy security and our business in General. And what is very important, it is of great importance for future climate," says Steve Howard, Director of sustainable development, IKEA.



"We strive to maximize renewable energy and minimize carbon emissions. We do this not only to reduce the impact on the environment, but also because this is the financial sense, says Rob Olson, CFO of IKEA USA. – We invest in our own renewable energy, thus reducing our dependence on fluctuations in prices of electricity and providing high value to our customers."



Wind power is a good example of the implementation of the plans of IKEA to expand its business in the United States. The company also plans to open three new stores in 2014-2015, Also last month, IKEA announced plans to expand partnerships in the manufacturing sector with its key supplier in the country.



It is expected that the power plant "Hupston" will produce up to 380 GWh of renewable energy per year, which is equivalent to the following annual figures:
electricity consumption of 34,000 average American households;

the reduction in CO2 emissions of equal amounts to the emissions of 55,000 vehicles;

165% of the electricity consumed by IKEA US (38 stores, five distribution centers, two service centers and one factory);

130% of the total energy (electricity + heat) consumed by IKEA US

18% of the electricity consumed by the IKEA Group worldwide;

10% of the total energy used by IKEA Group worldwide
the amount of electricity consumed by 70 IKEA stores.



For wind power plants "Hupston" will be installed 49 wind turbines Vesta V100-2.0 MW near Hupston in the County of Vermilion, Illinois, about 110 miles from Chicago.





Power plant "Hupston" will be wholly owned by the IKEA Group and operated by an American developer of wind and solar sources of energy Apex Clean Energy. "Wind energy is the most quickly razvivayuschiesya of the new generation in the United States, and its potential is only beginning to use, says mark Goodwin, President of Apex. Project with IKEA US is an opportunity for Apex to work with a new type of investor and partner to expand wind energy development in our country."



Power plant "Hupston" is the most recent project among the renewable energy investments of the Group of companies IKEA, the company also plans to buy another 206 wind turbines worldwide. The investment will be used to install wind farms in eight other countries: Canada, where currently the company is the largest investor in wind energy among retailers, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Sweden and the UK.



Also, the IKEA Group has set the 550,000 solar panels on IKEA buildings in nine countries. In the US, these investments include the installation of solar panels on 90% of IKEA facilities in 20 States. There are 165 000 solar panels, providing a total capacity of 38 MW. In addition, in the heating and air conditioning in the IKEA store in Centennial, Colorado, integrated a geothermal component. Another project with a geothermal component is under implementation in the framework of building a new store in Kansas city that is scheduled to open in 2014.





In 2013, the IKEA Group had produced 1425 GWh of electricity from renewable sources, including wind and solar, equivalent to 37% of the total consumption of the company. In the framework of the strategy of sustainable development "Yes – people and the planet!" the company has allocated $ 2 billion for investments in wind and solar until 2015 to get closer to their goal – by 2020, producing more renewable energy than the company consumes. The IKEA group is also committed to improving the energy efficiency of its activities. So, thanks to the efforts of the company in 2010 was saved 55 million dollars by saving electricity in stores and warehouses of IKEA.



About IKEA Group
The business idea of IKEA is to create a better everyday life for the many people, offering a wide range of comfortable and functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible could buy them. At present, the IKEA Group owns 305 stores in 26 countries. In the IKEA Group employs about 135,000 employees. In fiscal year 2013, the company's stores are visited more than 684 million customers, and on the website IKEA.com was more than 1.3 billion visits. The principle of sustainability underpins the everyday activities of IKEA, the company also supports projects aimed at helping children and improving the environment.



About Apex Clean Energy
Apex Clean Energy is an independent company producing renewable energy, located in Centennial, Colorado. Since its founding in 2009, Apex has become one of the fastest growing companies in the industry. In December 2012, Apex completed the development and construction of the Canadian Hills Wind project 300 MW power plant in Oklahoma. The company has wide experience in the development of wind turbines across the country, and she has ownership there are several functioning solar panels. Our management team consists of industry experts with experience in development, financing, construction and operation of wind and solar energy facilities costing more than $ 10 billion.

Source: facepla.net