Ball Corp. and One Energy Enterprises LLC have announced plans to build three additional wind turbines to provide power to Ball’s Findlay, Ohio, beverage packaging plant.
The three new turbines will join three similar machines that have been in operation since December 2015. Together, the six turbines will supply approximately 30% of the Findlay plant’s power needs at a fixed cost for 17 more years (the initial three turbines) and 20 years (the three new turbines).
The Findlay plant, which employs more than 370 people, makes recyclable metal containers.
“Ball’s sustainability progress is powered by projects throughout our company, and our expansion of the use of wind power in Findlay is yet another example,” says Glenn Jost, the company’s Findlay plant manager. “By expanding our use of wind turbines to deliver power to our plant, Ball is increasing its support of renewable energy while ensuring a fixed-rate cost for a significant amount of our Findlay power needs for decades. This adds to the sustainability advantage of metal packaging compared to other substrates, like plastics and glass.”
The three new turbines will begin construction by the end of this year. The project cost is approximately $9 million, financed by One Energy. The six turbines will generate more than 24,000,000 kWh annually.
Ball and One Energy will also create three additional $5,000 Megawatt Scholarships in Findlay to be awarded each year the turbines are in operation. They will annually hand out a total of $30,000 among the six scholarships. They will be awarded to local high school graduates pursuing a two- or four-year higher education degree in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) fields.
