Kimberly-Clark this week switched on one of Singapore’s largest solar energy installations at its manufacturing facility in Tuas, which produces Huggies diapers and Huggies baby wipes. The 7,730 photovoltaic panels mounted on its roof will generate 3.5 Gigawatt hours of clean energy, enough to power up a thousand 3-bedroom HDB flats for a year.

With this investment, renewable energy will now replace 15% of conventional energy use at the plant, reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by approximately 1,600 metric tons per year. This is equivalent to removing nearly 350 passenger cars from roads annually.

Kimberly-Clark’s Tuas plant has a long track record of reducing its environmental footprint. In 2016, it launched an in-house wastewater treatment plant that recycles 75% of the water used in its wet wipes production.

Since 2017, it has partnered with Ngee Ann polytechnic researchers to find utility for material waste generated during its production process, as part of its broader efforts to re-use or recycle 100% of its waste.

At a ceremony held to inaugurate its solar roof, Achal Agarwal, President, Kimberly-Clark Asia Pacific, said, "Our manufacturing operations in Singapore have long been recognized as a leader in environmental protection. Switching on this solar roof marks a new milestone in our sustainability journey and accelerates our progress towards our goal of achieving a 20% reduction in GHG emissions globally, by 2022."