Powering Emissions Reductions With Clean Heat and Renewable Energy

The research, development and production of medicines is an energy intensive process. As part of our transition to net zero, we have announced a series of innovative partnerships which are decarbonising our operations, expanding access to renewable energy and contributing to the circular economy. In the UK and in the US, we will use renewable natural gas (RNG), or biomethane, to supply clean heat to our sites, providing a blueprint to accelerate emissions reductions in industrial sectors. In addition, through our power purchase agreement in Sweden, we are expanding the country’s wind energy capacity.

Expanding access to clean sources of heat and power is critical to meet our bold Ambition Zero Carbon targets and accelerate health sector decarbonisation.

Advancing clean heat and energy efficiencies in the UK

We have agreed a 15-year partnership in the UK with Future Biogas to establish the first unsubsidised industrial-scale supply of biomethane. This supply of green gas will power our sites in Macclesfield, Cambridge, Luton and Speke. The new biomethane plant will add renewable energy capacity to existing UK infrastructure and supply more than 100 gigawatt hours (GWh) of biomethane, equivalent to the heat needs of more than 8,000 homes.

Using crops grown locally as part of diverse crop rotations, the plant will also contribute to the development of a circular economy, supporting UK farms with sustainable land management practices.

Learn more about how we are powering our sites with clean heat to decarbonise the manufacture of medicines

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In leading from the front on the commercial adoption of clean heat, we are innovating to expand the usage of renewable energy, contributing to the circular economy and accelerating our progress towards net zero.

Juliette White - Vice President Global Sustainability & Safety, Health & Environment, AstraZeneca

Renewable heat and power in the US and beyond

In the US, we’re partnering with Vanguard Renewables to transform food and beverage waste and dairy manure into RNG. The first-of-its-kind collaboration will advance our sustainable science by providing clean heat to our US sites – delivering the equivalent of the energy required to heat over 17,800 homes – so reducing our environmental footprint.

Our partnership with Vanguard Renewables is using methane which would otherwise go into the atmosphere and will produce a low carbon fertiliser, helping to enhance the sustainability of the farming sector.

In addition, in Puerto Rico, iPR Pharmaceuticals, part of AstraZeneca, has begun using Renewable Liquified Natural Gas (RNLG) from landfill to fuel its cogeneration plant. The domestically produced RNLG helps to reduce landfill emissions by 90% and replaces fossil fuel energy sources.

Over in Europe, we are also transitioning to renewable energy for our electricity needs. In 2023, we entered into an agreement with Statkraft, Europe’s largest renewable energy producer, to increase the supply of wind power in Sweden.

Here, we have committed to purchasing 200 GWh per year for ten years. Under the agreement, new wind farms will be commissioned, maximising the positive impact of our renewable energy procurement and focus on sustainable innovation.

Ambition Zero Carbon – our science-based climate strategy

The transition to 100% renewable energy is a key element of our flagship Ambition Zero Carbon programme, which is focused on delivering deep decarbonisation by halving the company’s entire value chain footprint (Scopes 1 to 3) by 2030 and becoming science-based net zero by 2045 at the latest. We are on track to reduce GHG emissions from our global operations (Scope 1 and 2) by 98% by 2026.

About Vanguard Renewables

Vanguard Renewables, based in Weston, Massachusetts, is a national leader in developing food and dairy waste-to-renewable energy projects.

The Company owns and operates on-farm anaerobic digester facilities in the northeast and currently operates manure-only digesters in the south and west for Dominion Energy. Vanguard Renewables plans to expand nationwide to more than 150 anaerobic digestion facilities by 2026.

Vanguard Renewables is committed to advancing decarbonization by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from farms and food waste, generating renewable energy, and supporting regenerative agriculture on partner farms via Farm Powered® anaerobic digestion.

Vanguard Renewables is a portfolio company of BlackRock Real Assets.