ESG Today writes that Merck signed a 10-year contract for purchasing some 300 GWh of clean, renewable power per year from Matrix Renewables and Renantis, which is about one third of the total power purchases made by the company worldwide last year.

Renewable energy purchases are part of Merck's strategy to become a climate-neutral company by 2040.

Under the decade-long agreements, Merck's operations will be powered with both solar, with 200 GWh, and wind power, with around 100 GWh coming from five Spanish installations, starting 2025.

As per Merck officials, the company will also invest in its own renewable projects and in 2022 alone, it has installed around 7.000 solar panels at one of its buildings in Wisconsin, which add 4 GWh of power to the grid. Also, in 2023, the company started powering its operations in Mollet del Vallès, Spain with green, solar power, with the installations outputting 2.8 GWh of electricity per year.

Belén Garijo, Chair of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck said that "by covering 100% of our purchased European electricity with renewable energy certificates from 2025, and advancing our efforts across all other regions, Merck continues to demonstrate its global leadership. We remain fully on track to reach climate neutrality by 2040."