Nestlé uses solar energy to power ice cream factory

Nestlé has taken excellence in ice cream-making one step further with the installation of a unique solar power system to produce its Coppa del Nonno brand in Italy.

The new solar power system - located at the Company’s ice cream factory in Ferentino, western Italy - is the only one of its kind in the country to use a combination of three different solar power technologies on the same site.

Supported by a smaller solar power system built in 2009, it will provide all the energy needed to power the Coppa del Nonno ice cream production line.

Manuela Kron, Corporate Affairs Director for Nestlé Italy, explained how the innovation is part of the Company’s countrywide commitment to obtaining more energy from renewable sources.

She said: “The Ferentino solar power system is a high priority for us. It is a tangible expression of our commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development.

“The factory already featured cutting-edge ice cream production processes, and the installation of this new solar power system reaffirms its excellence in the management of energy resources.”

Ms Kron continued: “It is a great satisfaction for us to be able to contribute to the well-being of the community and the local area in this way.”

Nestlé’s Ferentino factory is one of the most advanced in its category, with 11 production lines producing more than 26,000 tonnes of ice cream per year.

Its entire solar power system - built with the technical support of the Solar Green Energy Company - produces enough energy to meet around 14% of the factory’s total energy needs, or the equivalent of around 750 homes.

It is the only factory to produce Coppa del Nonno ice cream, an historical brand which has been available exclusively in Italy for around 60 years.

Sold in multipacks and in single-serve ice cream cups, Coppa del Nonno is available in a choice of two different recipes - classic coffee and cappuccino - and is most popular with adults in the north of the country.

In addition to Coppa del Nonno, the Ferentino factory makes some of Nestlé’s most prestigious ice cream brands in Italy.

These include Maxibon, Maxicono, Antica Gelateria del Corso, and the Company’s biggest seller, La Cremeria.

Made with Italian fresh milk, La Cremeria is available in eight different flavours: fiordilatte, stracciatella, spagnola, crema-cioccolato, pistacchio-gianduia, vaniglia-noci pecan, nocciola-cioccolato and limone.