Samsung aims to expand renewable energy use globally by 2020

Samsung Electronics said Thursday it will expand production and usage of renewable energy at its workplaces in South Korea and a further plan for global expansion by 2020 as part of its ongoing efforts to demonstrate its commitment to environmental responsibility.

In Korea, the tech titan will install approximately 42,000 square meters of solar panels in its headquarters dubbed “Samsung Digital City” in Suwon this year.

The company will add about 21,000 square meters of solar arrays and geothermal power generation facilities next year in its Pyeongtaek campus and 2020 in its Hwaseong campus. 

It is to support the government’s national strategic plan to increase the country’s renewable energy use by 20 percent by 2030, Samsung said.

In the US, Europe and China in particular, Samsung aims to source renewable energy for 100 percent of the total energy used for all of its factories, office buildings and operational facilities by 2020.

With these efforts in place, the Korean tech mogul will be using about 3.1 gigawatt’s of solar power generated by its own photovoltaic facilities in 2020. The amount is comparable to the annual energy consumption of about 115,000 four-person Korean households.

As part of its extended strategy, Samsung Electronics will also engage its partners across the supply chain.

Beginning next year, Samsung plans to work with its top 100 partner companies to help them set their own renewable energy targets, in partnership with the Carbon Disclosure Project Supply Chain Program, which the company intends to join next year.

“As demonstrated by our expanded commitment, we are focused on protecting our planet and are doing our part as a global environmental steward,” said Kim Won-kyong, executive vice president of global public affairs at Samsung.

Samsung has joined the World Wildlife Fund‘s Renewable Energy Buyers’ Principles and the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Business Renewables Center to demonstrate its commitment to the environment.

“We welcome Samsung Electronics’ declaration to expand the roll-out of renewable energy across its global sites,” said Jochem Verberne, global partnerships director of the WWF. “This is an important step and we look forward to working with Samsung on further measures to reduce the company’s climate impact across its value chains.”

Further details regarding the company’s renewable energy plans will be available in the Samsung Electronics Sustainability Report to be unveiled on Friday.

By Song Su-hyun (song@heraldcorp.com)