SÃO PAULO — PremieRpet, the Brazilian manufacturer of Natoo, Premier and Golden pet nutrition brands, has announced a recent investment in what it described as “the largest solar power plant in the state of São Paulo.” The solar plant, which is located in Castilho, was created through a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Comerc Renew, a division of Comerc Group.

Thanks to the investment, PremieRpet is the first Brazilian pet food company to adopt and utilize the renewable resource at its manufacturing facilities, according to the company.

“Since its inception, PremieRpet has promoted sustainable initiatives in its operations, demonstrating its vision for a future orientated towards the preservation of the environment and well-being of society,” said Fernando Maluf, vice president of international sales at PremieRpet. “Now, as we adopt the use of solar energy at our plants, our company will continue to avoid emissions of up to 16,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere each year. To put this into perspective, this number is equivalent to the annual consumption of 16,000 homes with an average of four people, or to the CO2 absorption of 110,000 trees for 30 years.”

The solar power plant, dubbed the Castilho Complex, spans 1,700 acres, touts five generation units and 600,000 solar energy plates. According to PremieRpet, 120,000 of those plates will be used to supply 100% of the energy demand at its four manufacturing factories in Dourado and Porto Amazonas.

Solar energy is a 100% renewable and clean alternative energy source offering several environmental benefits, according to PremieRpet. This includes being non-polluting and reducing its carbon footprint.

The solar energy investment will benefit all of the company’s pet nutrition brands, including its Natoo pet treat and meal topper portfolio targeted specifically for the US market.

This marks the latest of several sustainability investments made by PremieRpet. According to the company, one of its first environmental initiatives was using reforested eucalyptus trees to generate thermal energy used in its manufacturing operations. The company also recaptures rainwater from ponds and rooftops to reuse in its operations, uses natural lighting in 75% of its spaces, performs reverse logistics and manages all residues generated throughout its production processes.

PremieRpet also received LEED Certification at one of its Brazilian facilities in late 2022, making it the first LEED Gold Certified production plant in Latin America, according to the company.

Read more about sustainability efforts in the pet food and treat industry.