By Business & Finance 
Irish energy supplier Vayu has signed a gas and renewable electricity deal with Britvic Ireland, the number one soft drinks company by volume on the island of Ireland.
Valued at €1.8mn in the first year, the agreement will see Vayu supply Britvic with natural gas and 100% green electricity to meet all the year-round energy requirements for its three Irish sites – its two factories in Dublin (Kylemore) and Limerick (Newcastle West) and its distribution centre in Dublin (Clondalkin).
The deal will provide Britvic with direct access to wholesale market prices for both electricity and gas, allowing the company to achieve significant savings compared with traditional fixed rate tariffs in the market. As part of a fully managed agreement, Vayu will provide Britvic with the procurement tools and advice to purchase energy at the best price available in the market.
Marcel Kahlow, head of Procurement, Britvic Ireland, said: “Britvic Ireland is a member of Origin Green, a Bord Bia programme that sets out Ireland’s ambition to become a world leader in the delivery of sustainable, high-quality food and drink products. As a sustainable business, Britvic Ireland believes passionately in minimising our impact on the environment and is continually looking at ways to reduce our carbon footprint across all our business operations. We have achieved enormous progress to date through initiatives that significantly reduce energy consumption, packaging recycling, water use, and waste generation.”
Mat Thewlis, operations director, Britvic Ireland, said: “In particular, energy use is a key focus for Britvic and our partnership with Vayu will help us reduce our environmental footprint even further by providing us with electricity that has a 100% renewable rating,” says Mr Kahlow. “The deal also gives us direct access to wholesale gas and electricity prices backed up by Vayu’s expertise in the Irish energy market. This will enable us to manage our energy procurement more effectively, significantly reduce our energy costs and carbon footprint. This is nothing less than a win-win for Britvic and the environment.”
Stephen Behan, energy specialist at Vayu said: “With energy costs becoming a greater consideration, many Irish businesses are seeking more effective ways to manage their energy procurement and achieve substantial savings. This is changing the way energy is being supplied – moving away from traditional commodity approaches to solutions based on sophisticated management tools for minimising the per-unit cost of energy purchased.”
Behan noted that environmental considerations are playing a greater role when businesses purchase electricity. He said: “Access to renewable electricity has become a very important issue for Irish businesses looking to minimise their carbon footprint and limit the environmental impact of their activities. This is having a direct impact on the way businesses procure electricity in Ireland.”
