AkzoNobel is progressing with a major initiative that currently involves eight of its 15 Chinese facilities, which are utilizing a mix of self-generated and externally sourced renewable electricity to move away from fossil fuels and towards zero-carbon alternatives.
The paints and coatings supplier AkzoNobel
is making significant strides in its transition to clean energy, with more than half of its production sites in China on track to operate using 100% renewable electricity.
Key milestones include the Suzhou and Changzhou sites, which are set to achieve full renewable electricity coverage by the end of this year. Additionally, the company plans for its Shanghai and Wuhan plants to reach 90% renewable electricity by 2026. Two facilities in Langfang have already reached 100%, while the Guangzhou site is at 20% as of January 2025, with expectations to double this figure soon. Meanwhile, the Decorative Paints plant in Chengdu is currently sourcing 18% of its electricity from renewable sources.
“We are fully focused on achieving our ambition of 100% renewable electricity in our own operations by 2030. We are delighted with the progress being made in China and will continue to proactively drive the transition of all our manufacturing sites globally,” has stated Wijnand Bruinsma, AkzoNobel’s Director of Sustainability.
The company is also focused on generating renewable electricity on-site, which helps reduce grid pressure and creates additional capacity to support the broader energy transition. Following the success of its first solar installations in China in 2021, AkzoNobel launched a second phase in 2024. This expansion includes over 5,600 solar panels installed in Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu.
As of February 2025, AkzoNobel has earned six government-certified “green factory” recognitions in China, three of which are at the national level (Chengdu, Shanghai, and Guangzhou) and three at the local level (Shanghai, Suzhou, and Changzhou).
Beyond China, AkzoNobel has already achieved 100% renewable electricity across all its manufacturing sites in North America, Latin America, and Europe. In 2024, the company also completed the installation of its largest European solar energy plant at the Pilawa site in Poland, featuring 3,551 solar panels with an installed capacity of 1.9 MWp.