BENTON HARBOR, Mich.,
May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/
-- Today, Whirlpool Corporation announced plans to build wind
turbines to help power its Marion
and Ottawa plants in Ohio, a $13.5
million total investment that will build upon the company's
46 year commitment to advances in sustainable manufacturing.
The completion of these projects has the potential to make
Whirlpool Corporation one of the largest Fortune 500 consumers of
on-site wind energy in the United
States. Collectively, the company will be generating enough
clean energy to power more than 2,400 average American homes.
"Whirlpool Corporation is proud to be a global leader in
sustainable on-site energy generation for manufacturing, and this
project is the latest to demonstrate our commitment to sustainable
and renewable solutions," said Ron
Voglewede, Global Sustainability Director, Whirlpool
Corporation. "In addition to lowering our operational footprint and
costs, we are continuing to optimize and innovate the appliances
that are being built in Marion and
Ottawa to lower energy and water
consumption to help our consumers reduce their environmental
footprints, while improving performance."
The three Marion turbines --
which are scheduled for completion in early 2017 -- are expected to
offset Whirlpool Corporation's electric consumption by 19 percent,
eliminating the equivalent of more than 9,000 tons of CO2.
Similarly, Ottawa's turbine is
expected to offset the plant's electrical consumption by 34
percent, once completed at the end of 2016. All turbines will be
built and financed by One Energy as part of its "Wind for Industry"
project. The turbines will be the same Goldwind 1.5 megawatt
turbines that were used for Whirlpool Corporation's previous
project in Findlay, Ohio. The 3
megawatt wind farm project at the Findlay plant has been operating since
January 2016.
Following the completion of the Marion and Ottawa projects, many dishwashers, freezers
and clothes dryers manufactured by Whirlpool Corporation and sold
in the United States will be made,
in part, with wind energy.
"These wind farm projects are a great example of how global
companies can make an environmental impact on a local level by
investing in sustainable operations," Voglewede said.
As part of this local commitment, Whirlpool Corporation will
also create one $5,000 Megawatt STEM
Scholarship per wind turbine to be awarded annually to a graduating
senior from local Marion and
Ottawa high schools as a way to
inspire education in the technologies and industries of the
future.
About Whirlpool Corporation
Whirlpool Corporation
(NYSE: WHR) is the number one major appliance manufacturer in the
world, with approximately $21 billion
in annual sales, 97,000 employees and 70 manufacturing and
technology research centers in 2015. The company markets
Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Consul,
Brastemp, Amana, Bauknecht, Jenn-Air,
Indesit and other major brand names in nearly every country
throughout the world. Additional information about the company can
be found at WhirlpoolCorp.com, or find us on Twitter at
@WhirlpoolCorp.
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SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation