New Zealand’s leading poultry provider, Inghams has announced that it has entered into a long-term agreement with Lodestone Energy, New Zealand’s leading utility-scale solar generation company, for the provision of renewable energy across its Aotearoa New Zealand operations.
From April 2025, the agreement will see Lodestone Energy generate electricity from its multiple solar farms to meet 100% of Inghams’ electricity requirements across its New Zealand network, ensuring its operations are more sustainable and resilient.
Inghams Chief Executive – New Zealand, Ed Alexander, said Inghams is delighted to be working with Lodestone Energy on this innovative solar agreement: “Sustainability is at the core of our operations, and this agreement is an important step in delivering on our sustainability targets by sourcing 100% of our electricity requirements from renewable sources.
“We have ambitious sustainability goals, and the long-term agreement with Lodestone allows us to both offset our electricity carbon footprint and secure a stable and cost-competitive energy source for the future.
“We are obtaining the same outcome as if we built our own renewable energy infrastructure, but without the upfront capital cost and ongoing maintenance requirements,” said Mr Alexander.
Gary Holden, Managing Director of Lodestone, said: “We are like-minded organisations, and it is satisfying to us to see another industry segment acting quickly to embrace our solution. Inghams had a strong desire to move to a fully decarbonised electricity supply in a timely manner, and with this agreement, Lodestone’s rapid development programme will deliver premium certified credentials as their current contracts expire.”
As a part of this agreement, Lodestone will supply Inghams with Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).
“RECs are becoming recognised as the most tangible way for electricity consumers to contribute to the green energy transition. By offsetting 100% of their consumption with new sources, Inghams directly play their part in a decarbonised future,” said Mr Holden.
The agreement also reduces the number of carbon credits purchased every year from the voluntary market for Inghams’ two Toitū net carbonzero certified brands (Waitoa Free Range Chicken and Let’s Eat plant-based).
