Herbicide is made and packaged at a facility in Louisiana. (Image courtesy of Syngenta)
Syngenta’s expansive manufacturing facility in St. Gabriel, Louisiana, has been recognized as a top user of green power by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Syngenta is the only company within the agricultural sector to be included in the latest EPA’s Green Power Partnership list.
The facility, where products such as atrazine are manufactured, is an efficient network of piping and warehouse-style buildings just outside of Baton Rouge. The site consumes more than 150 million kWh of energy annually — equivalent to the annual electricity use of 14,000 homes in the country. Through the purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates, this Syngenta site demonstrates that it sources 100 percent of its electrical energy from renewable sources such as wind and solar — fully offsetting its electricity consumption from fossil fuel-based sources.
James Critchfield, program manager of the EPA’s Green Power Partnership, said: “This list of the largest users of green power across the nation is proof that good business practices can also benefit the environment. EPA applauds the leading organizations in the Green Power Partnership’s Top Partner Rankings for their notable commitment to expanding their use of green power and protecting the environment.”
Globally, Syngenta has also invested significantly at its other production sites, as part of its published commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 2030.
- In Switzerland, Syngenta’s production site in Monthey uses hydropower for a sizeable portion of the site’s electricity needs and generates the equivalent of half its steam consumption by recovering heat from household waste incineration. In 2023, Syngenta’s Monthey site was awarded the “Go Carbon Free” label by the Carbon Free Valais Foundation, in recognition of its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.
- In Brazil, Syngenta’s R&D and manufacturing sites for its crop protection and seeds businesses — also source 100 percent of their electricity needs from renewable sources. This was achieved alongside comprehensive efforts aimed at reducing water consumption and waste generation, and at long-term net-zero energy sourcing.
- In China, the Kunshan manufacturing site emerged as Syngenta Group China’s first carbon-neutral facility after Beijing Green Exchange, a platform for carbon emission trading in China, awarded it in July for fully offsetting its carbon emissions generated from its operations. The site is implementing continuous improvements such as real-time monitoring of electricity usage, alongside upgrading equipment to be more energy efficient.
Syngenta Group is one of the world’s largest agricultural technology companies, with more than 59,000 employees and roots going back more than 250 years.
