Nestlé has invested €2.3 million in an efficient thermal energy system at the company’s chocolate factory in La Penilla de Cayón, Spain.

The system features a heat pump that will use residual energy from the factory’s cold production plant to heat the water necessary for the manufacturing processes as well as air conditioning.

Nestlé says that the system will result in “annual energy savings of almost 5%,” while CO₂ emissions will be reduced by almost 2,000 tons per year.

In addition, the new system, along with a previously completed centralisation of the hot water circuits, will save the Cantabrian factory around 15,000 m³ of water.

“With the installation of this new thermal energy production system, Nestlé continues to work for the environment while innovating,” said Eugenia Otón, director of the Cantabrian factory. “Through this new improvement, the factory also presents a model of high energy efficiency that places us as pioneers in the use of this technique in the region.”

The new thermal energy system is one in a number of environmental improvements that the plant has implemented in recent months, such as the installation of groups of cooling towers that allow for the constant reuse of water.

In addition, all the electricity purchased by the production site comes from renewable sources and the factory is said to provide zero waste to landfill.