Mars and Enel: Accelerating the Clean Energy Transition

The United Nations say that in 2023 the power sector was the largest source of global greenhouse gas emissions.

In order to reduce the worst impacts on climate change, the UN says that the world needs to end the reliance on fossil fuels and look for alternative clean energy sources.

Mars has collaborated with Enel in a new programme, Renewable Acceleration.

The programme aims to support the expansion of clean energy capacity building and improve energy resilience for Mars and its partners.

What will Enel provide for Mars?

Mars reports that the programme is the largest ever power purchase agreement transaction between a commercial and industrial customer.

In the first three contracts Enel will generate 1.8Tw of energy annually, using the entirety of its output from three solar plants in Texas.

The vegetation at all three sites will be managed through sheep grazing which is a sustainable dual use solar practice.

This agreement coincides with Mars’ broader sustainability goals such as tackling deforestation, supporting smart agriculture and improving transport.

Michele Di Murro, CEO at Enel North America says: “Renewable Acceleration is a bold initiative to support the buildout of more clean energy capacity, which we know is among the fastest and most economical ways to decarbonise.”

“Mars is raising the bar for corporate sustainability strategies, taking a comprehensive and direct approach to addressing emissions across its entire value chain. 

“Enel is proud to partner with Mars in launching this new programme.”

How will the programme impact Mars?

Mars plans to use the initiative to increase the speed of the transition from fossil field to clean energy, across its entire value chain.

Implementing the initiative will incite the use of clean energy to power operations such as:

• Farms that grow ingredients 
• Trucks that deliver products 
• Energy used by consumers at home

The goal of the project is for Mars to cut carbon emissions by around three million tonnes, which is roughly 10% of its current total footprint.

Kevin Rabinovitch, Global VP Sustainability at Mars says: “Many large companies are well on their way to sourcing renewable electricity for their own operations, but that’s just a part of the picture” 

“For Mars, Renewable Acceleration is a performance accelerator, cutting emissions at a scale and speed we could never achieve through traditional value chain engagement approaches. 

“It lets us bring demand for all the electricity used in our value chain to the clean energy market in a highly efficient manner. 

“The more demand we create together, the faster we can build the future we all want. 

“And clean energy means cleaner air for our communities, our people and our partners.”

How is Enel transitioning to clean energy?

Enel says that the energy transition is positioned at the centre of its strategy as the key to addressing climate change and encouraging the electrification of consumption.

The company plans to expand the clean energy transition through the use of onshore wind and programmable technologies like hydro and battery energy storage systems.

By 2027 the company says it wants to produce 86% of its energy without producing any emissions that will impact the environment, alongside adding 12 GW of new renewable capacity into its operations.

Enel’s main focus is to steer away from the use of coal and focus on innovation to provide its customers with more efficient and improved stability electrical systems.

Francesco Venturini, CEO of Enel X Global Retail says: “Our company is constantly seeking to collaborate globally with companies that promote long-lasting development and that are mutually creating shared value for all stakeholders.