CORAL GABLES, FL – Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc. is pleased to communicate that Gloucester Marine Terminal, where a large portion of its products for North America are being discharged, is partnering with solar technology leader SunPower Corp. to build the largest rooftop solar installation in North America – a massive, 1.1 million square-foot project on the roof of the Gloucester Marine Terminal’s refrigerated warehouse near the Walt Whitman Bridge on the Delaware River in New Jersey. Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A. has been one of the largest tenants of the Gloucester facility since last year.
“As a result of this project, a large portion of the energy required to discharge, cool and distribute our bananas, pineapples and other fresh products that are distributed in the Northeast, Midwest and Canada will come from renewable sources” said Dennis Christou, Vice President of Marketing at Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A. Inc. “It is very much in line with our commitment to operate in a sustainable manner that ensures the long term viability of the natural resources utilized for the production and distribution of our products. Del Monte’s and The Gloucester Marine Terminal’s shared vision on the protection of the environment and use of natural resources weighed heavily in our decision to move to the Gloucester facility. We are very proud to be a part of this project.”
Known as Riverside Renewable Energy, LLC, the privately funded $42 million project calls for the installation of 27,528 SunPower photovoltaic rooftop solar panels that will generate nine megawatts of electricity (9.0 MW) – or roughly enough to power 1,500 homes – at Gloucester Marine Terminal, which is owned by the Holt family. The Riverside project will be nearly twice as large as any previous rooftop solar installation in New Jersey, which has emerged as a national leader in the development of renewable energy resources. Construction is underway and should be completed by the fall.
When completed, the Riverside project will generate the equivalent of nearly 80 percent of the Terminal’s power demand. According to estimates provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the system is expected to offset more than 9,500 tons of carbon dioxide, approximately the same amount that would be offset by planting 400,000 trees or removing 1,700 cars from the road.
ABOUT DEL MONTE FRESH PRODUCE
Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. is one of the world’s leading vertically integrated producers, marketers and distributors of high-quality fresh and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables, as well as a leading producer and distributor of prepared food in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the countries formerly part of the Soviet Union. Fresh Del Monte markets its products worldwide under the Del Monte® brand, a symbol of product innovation, quality, freshness and reliability for more than 100 years. For more information, visit, www.freshdelmonte.com or www.fruits.com.
Source: Del Monte Fresh Produce
