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Olam Food Ingredients (Ofi) and Commodity Centre Group (CCG) have partnered to create a cocoa bean warehouse terminal using green energy at the Port of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Ofi and CCG – a supply chain, logistics and warehousing solutions company – achieved this by installing nearly 7,000 solar panels at the warehouse, which could reduce 1,350 tons of CO2 per year.

This equates to the absorption of carbon by 67,500 trees and utilises roof space approximately equivalent to two football pitches to maximise green energy usage. The companies also expect the warehouse to be certified carbon-neutral in the future.

The warehouse plays a crucial role in Ofi’s efforts to supply high-quality cocoa beans to its global confectionery brand customers. Leveraging an innovative conveyor belt system, cocoa is efficiently directed into one of the 110 available pens, allowing for the creation of bulk micro lots managed by CCG.

According to Ofi, the system is unique as it improves bean segregation to preserve flavour while ensuring consistent quality and traceability. With the integration of solar energy, the entire process now operates exclusively on renewable energy.

This recent development aligns with Ofi's commitment to sustainable cocoa through its Cocoa Compass initiative, which sets targets such as a 30% reduction in natural capital costs by 2030.

In 2021, Ofi managed to reduce these costs in its global cocoa processing operations by 11% per metric tonne of product output, partly attributed to investments made in renewable energy initiatives.

Chris Beetge, president of Europe, Middle East and North Africa for Ofi, said: “We’re always looking at ways to drive decarbonisation across our cocoa value chain from the farm to our processing facilities and warehouses. The milestone of turning our Amsterdam warehouse operation solar-powered is another example of how we’re not only progressing towards our own environmental goals but also supporting those of our customers and the national climate agendas of the Netherlands and the EU.”

Alec Gunn, CEO of CCG, commented: “Our Group has been working closely with Ofi for over 35 years, providing logistics and warehouse solutions in multiple locations. Commodity Centre’s Amsterdam Falcon and Osprey Terminals are shining examples of our continued commitment to incorporating sustainable solutions within our operations.”