Planning Permission Boosts Kepak’s Energy Win
Struggling with high energy costs and emissions? Kepak slashed them dramatically through smart upgrades, winning top SEAI honours.
Kepak, a leading Irish food processor, earned the large business award at the 2025 SEAI Energy Awards for outstanding energy efficiency gains. The company implemented energy mapping, staff training, and capital projects like wind turbines, solar panels, and heat pumps across operations. These steps cut emissions by 41.8% since 2018, aligning with national sustainability goals. Planning permission enabled key facility expansions vital to these successes.
At its Kilbeggan facility, Kepak invested €8 million in state-of-the-art upgrades, supported by government schemes. Ministers Peter Burke and Charlie McConalogue attended the launch, praising the project for boosting local jobs in Westmeath and Longford while advancing global growth. The enhancements improve production efficiency and shrink the environmental footprint, including better water use and reduced waste.
Kepak’s strategy ties into validated science-based targets from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Targets include a 52.3% drop in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030, matching removal of emissions from over 15,000 homes yearly. Scope 3 non-agriculture emissions aim for 50.4% reduction, like taking 25,000 petrol cars off roads. Long-term, net-zero across the value chain by 2050 drives further innovation.
Achievements extend to water savings—29% per tonne of product—and a 22% rise in regenerative agriculture on Irish and UK beef farms. As Origin Green gold members for four years, Kepak minimises carbon via renewables, heat pumps, and deep retrofits. Judges lauded the clear energy masterplan, staff engagement, and measurable progress toward 2030 and 2050 targets.
SEAI awards drew over 140 entries, with winners collectively saving €27 million in energy costs and powering 67,000 homes via renewables. Kepak’s win underscores a structured approach to management and decarbonisation, setting benchmarks for the food sector. Such initiatives mirror broader efforts where An Bord Pleanála decisions and environmental impact reviews shape flood-risk development and industrial approvals, much like Kepak’s path.
Renewable expansions and efficiency measures position Kepak as a leader. Wind and solar capacity grows alongside anaerobic digestion and farm-level carbon cuts. This holistic push supports healthier soils, biodiversity, and circular economy principles, influencing sustainable beef practices globally.
By embedding sustainability, Kepak not only meets but exceeds targets. Partnerships with farmers, customers, and Origin Green amplify impact. CEO insights highlight leadership in farm decarbonisation, vital for Ireland’s low-carbon shift. Future plans include zero deforestation by 2025 and 90% total emissions cuts by 2050.
Originally reported in Sustainable Energy Authority Of Ireland | SEAI on Sun, 28 Dec 2025 07:19:33 +0000. Full story
