Environment

BRF: Integrated producers save an average of 95% on energy costs from solar panels

BRF, one of the largest food companies in the world, has been expanding the use of solar energy in its production chain. Currently, around 1,500 of the Company’s integrated employees already have photovoltaic plants on their rural properties. This group of producers is seeing an average reduction of 95% in input costs. The use of 100% clean energy represents an estimated generation of 19,713.75 MWh/month, equivalent to the consumption of a city of 230 thousand inhabitants.

“Producers are our partners in the mission of bringing quality food to consumers’ tables, in a sustainable way. To achieve this, we encourage the use of clean energy and also support it with technical knowledge”, says Fábio Stumpf, vice-president of Agriculture and Quality at BRF.

Solar panels approved by BRF have a factory warranty of 12 to 15 years, a generation warranty of up to 25 years, and inverters approved for between 15 and 20 years, which means less worry about changing or maintaining equipment.

Promoting low-carbon production is one of the priority fronts of the Company’s Net Zero commitment. “Our plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions includes the entire production chain, so we are always looking for the best solutions to advance this agenda”, explains Raquel Ogando, director of Reputation and Sustainability at BRF.

To encourage its integrated producers to adopt greater use of solar energy, BRF has partnerships with financial institutions, which aim to finance investments in the installation of photovoltaic panels on partner farms.