Cheers to clean energy at new Queensland drinks manufacturing facility

Beverage manufacturer Frucor Suntory has signed an agreement with publicly owned CleanCo to secure a clean energy start for its new beverage manufacturing facility at Swanbank.

The new deal has been enabled by the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan, meaning the facility – Frucor Suntory’s first in Australia, and the largest FMCG investment in Australia in the last decade – will be powered by 11GWh of publicly owned renewable energy.

This follows the Palaszczuk Government’s investment of half a billion dollars to propel the development of up to 2.3GW of large-scale solar and wind projects in regional Queensland. 

This will ultimately enable more companies to procure more clean energy, to create more good jobs and new careers for Queenslanders.

That investment capitalises on Queensland’s abundant sun and wind resources and will significantly contribute to the state’s future renewable energy requirements of 70 per cent by 2032.

Quotes attributable to Member for Bundamba and Assistant Minister for Energy, Lance McCallum:

“This deal means more local jobs through clean energy as one of the world’s biggest companies delivers on their ambition for their new facility to be a net zero operation.

“Frucor Suntory’s new factory at Swanbank will include beverage processing, packaging, warehousing, and distribution, and is expected to deliver around 450 construction and installation jobs while also creating 160 long-term roles when it starts operating in mid-2024.

“It’s Queensland’s clean energy that is enabling businesses to plan for future growth, and importantly, our investments are ensuring Queenslanders continue to own the energy assets that will drive our renewable future."

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen:

“Some of Australia’s favourite beverages will soon be manufactured using renewable energy produced right here in Queensland, with a deal enabling a state-of-the-art net zero manufacturing and distribution facility in Swanbank.

“It’s the Palaszczuk Government that attracted Frucor Suntory to Queensland through our programs that support significant, job-creating private sector investment projects.

“Matched by our investments in renewable energy, we’re directly reducing embedded emissions in products manufactured in Queensland, meaning our industries remains highly competitive in the global marketplace and that equals job security.”

Quotes attributable to Frucor Suntory:

“For over 120-years, Suntory has focused on Growing for Good, and we want our new +$400 million Swanbank facility to set a benchmark for sustainable investment for our global business and the FMCG sector,” said Darren Fullerton, CEO Frucor Suntory.

“Working with partners like CleanCo is essential to helping us achieve that vision and will allow us to operate with 100% Green Energy when the site goes live in mid-2024,” Mr Fullerton said.

Quotes attributable to CleanCo CEO, Tom Metcalfe:

"CleanCo is proud to provide our customers sustainable retail products, helping to attract large commercial and industrial businesses to Queensland and support them on their decarbonisation journeys.

“Under the agreement CleanCo will supply electricity and large-scale generation certificates (LGCs) covering 100% of Frucor’s electricity requirements demonstrating how, through providing sustainable, competitively priced clean energy solutions, CleanCo is supporting large commercial customers to thrive in a net zero future.”

ENDS

Media contact – Andrew Churchill 0457 600 237