Conagra’s Slim Jim and Manwich Facilities to be Powered by Fuel Cell Technology
Two of Conagra Brand’s food production facilities will soon be largely powered by fuel cells.
The consumer packaged goods (CPG) food company announced this week that Bloom Energy will install approximately 6 MW of fuel cell capacity at Conagra’s Troy and Archbold, Ohio production facilities.
Bloom Energy manufactures combustion-free solid oxide fuel cells for the distributed generation of low-carbon electricity and hydrogen. The fuel cells avoid the release of pollutants and particulates associated with fossil fuel-based power generation emissions.
The fuel cell systems will be installed under a 15-year power purchase agreement. It is expected that they will supply between 70% and 75% of the plants’ electricity needs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 19%, according to a statement from Conagra.
The energy from the fuel cells will directly power the two Conagra facilities. They will not be used to provide grid services.
"Implementing this technology is a significant step towards achieving our science-based targets, supporting our pursuit of renewable energy solutions and reducing our environmental footprint,” Christine Daugherty, vice president of sustainability at Conagra Brands, said in a statement.
Conagra program funds modernization, sustainability initiatives
Complementing the fuel cell initiative, Conagra also established a $9 million Sustainability Capital Allowance program to help its production facilities across the country invest in technologies that modernize supply chains, reduce environmental impact and promote sustainable practices.
“We expect Bloom’s fuel cells to provide cleaner and reliable power at our Troy and Archbold facilities,” said Daugherty. “We are committed to channeling our operational efficiency efforts into strategic areas where we can make a significant impact across our production process.”
Conagra is one of the largest CPG food producers in North America. Its brands include Birds Eye, Duncan Hines, Marie Callender's and more.
The company produces more than one billion Slim Jims meat sticks and jerky annually at its Troy facility, north of Dayton. The Archbold plant west of Toledo produces canned goods for Conagra brands including Hunt’s, La Choy, Manwich and Libby’s, among others.
Fuel cells increasingly in the news
As companies from all sectors of the economy look for ways to ensure energy reliability, more and more are investing in fuel cell technology.
Bloom Energy announced last year that it will provide a fully islandable fuel cell microgrid for electronics manufacturer Quanta Technologies.
Meanwhile, Bloom’s competitor FuelCell Energy is exploring the idea of leveraging methane from coal mines to develop fuel-cell powered microgrids for data centers and Scale Microgrid recently acquired a 9.6-MW combined heat and power fuel cell project in Connecticut.
The U.S. military also is exploring the use of fuel cells. The Army is testing a hydrogen nanogrid at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The system includes solar panels, an atmospheric water generator, an electrolyzer and a fuel cell.
“Our collaboration underscores Bloom's commitment to providing clean and reliable energy solutions and driving economic value in grid-constrained regions like Ohio and the greater Midwest," said Adam Colling, commercial and industrial sector leader at Bloom Energy.
