Apex and Ares Partner with Mars, BHJ, and Silgan Containers on Renewable Power Purchase from Ford Ridge Wind

Charlottesville, VA – August 4, 2021 – Apex Clean Energy, together with funds managed by Ares Management’s Infrastructure and Power strategy; Mars, Incorporated; BHJ USA; and Silgan Containers, today announced a corporate supply chain consortium that will purchase power from the 121.26 MW Ford Ridge Wind. The consortium, organized and led by Commodity Risk Solution, jointly signed power purchase agreements enabling the buyers to make meaningful strides toward their sustainability targets while demonstrating the tangible impact that value chain partners can make in the transition to a new clean energy economy.

“Ford Ridge Wind represents monumental progress: not only does it bring Mars a significant step closer to achieving its renewable energy targets; it also brings the company’s suppliers along on its journey to net zero,” said Mark Goodwin, president and CEO of Apex. “Mars, BHJ, and Silgan Containers are signaling to the market and to consumers that sustainability is a priority—and that supply chain partners can work collectively to bring new renewable energy online, generating meaningful environmental and economic benefit.”

“We’re excited to partner with Apex again to help Mars, BHJ, and Silgan Containers achieve their renewable energy targets. The purchase of renewable power by leading corporations such as these continues to be a driving force behind the transition to a low-carbon economy and we’re proud to be building the infrastructure to support it,” said Steve Porto, managing director of Ares Infrastructure and Power.

The agreement with Ford Ridge Wind will enable Mars to continue to meet its sustainability goal of sourcing 100% renewable electricity in the United States—as it has since 2015—even with significant business growth, including the expansion of Mars Veterinary Health. Ford Ridge will generate enough clean power for the company’s entire U.S. confectionery, food, and pet care business, including more than 2,000 Banfield Pet Hospital, BluePearl, and VCA veterinary hospitals, and more than 70 Antech Diagnostics laboratories. This progress comes as part of the $1 billion Sustainable in a Generation Plan announced by Mars in 2017, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain by 67% by 2050 and reduce emissions from its direct operations by 100% by 2040.

“As our business in the United States continues to grow, Mars is committed to embedding sustainable solutions throughout our operations. And, as the world looks to rebuild from the devastating effects of the pandemic, it will be critical for businesses to lead,” said Barry Parkin, chief procurement and sustainability officer at Mars. “This partnership is further evidence that we are moving full steam toward our emissions targets and driving climate action throughout our extended value chain.”

The power purchase agreement allows BHJ, a leading global supplier of animal proteins for the international food and pet food industries, to supply renewable power for several of the company’s plants in the United States.

“At BHJ, we believe that a realistic sustainable approach has to involve a real effort across the entire supply chain. We are a key part of the supply chain of our customers and being part of this consortium is a perfect fit with BHJ’s other initiatives to boost sustainable progress. Renewable power from Ford Ridge Wind to our plants will get us closer to our goals,” said Thomas Bendix Christensen, president and CEO of BHJ USA, LLC.

“Being part of this consortium will help us achieve our goal to reduce our greenhouse gas intensity ratio 40% by 2030. This is just one key action toward achieving the many initiatives in place to meet the goals of our business,” said Thomas J. Snyder, president of Silgan Containers said,

Ford Ridge Wind, located in Ford County, Illinois, will generate significant benefits both for the climate and for the local community. The project will create approximately 250 full-time-equivalent jobs during construction as well as permanent operations and maintenance jobs; contribute more than $36 million in new revenue to the local government; and provide participating landowners with roughly $45 million in lease payments over the life of the project.

“Achieving the members’ buy-in to a consistent set of goals from the start was the key to the consortium’s success,” said Luke Marriott, managing director for Commodity Risk Solution. “This unconventional deal was embraced by all parties as an opportunity rather than a challenge and it will pave the way for future transactions with meaningful impact.”

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About Apex Clean Energy

Apex Clean Energy was founded with a singular focus: to accelerate the shift to clean energy. Through origination, construction, and operation of utility-scale wind, solar, and storage facilities, distributed energy resources, and green fuel technologies, Apex is expanding the renewable frontier across North America. Our mission-driven team of more than 250 professionals uses a data-focused approach and an unrivaled portfolio of projects to create solutions for the world’s most innovative and forward-thinking customers. For more information about how Apex is building the energy company of the future, visit apexcleanenergy.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

About Ares Management Corporation

Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES) is a leading global alternative investment manager offering clients complementary primary and secondary investment solutions across the credit, private equity, real estate and infrastructure asset classes. We seek to provide flexible capital to support businesses and create value for our stakeholders and within our communities. By collaborating across our investment groups, we aim to generate consistent and attractive investment returns throughout market cycles. As of June 30, 2021, including the acquisition of Black Creek Group which closed July 1, 2021, Ares Management Corporation’s global platform had approximately $262 billion of assets under management, with approximately 2,000 employees operating across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.aresmgmt.com.

About Mars, Incorporated

For more than a century, Mars, Incorporated has been driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. This idea is at the center of who we have always been as a global, family-owned business. Today, Mars is transforming, innovating and evolving in ways that affirm our commitment to making a positive impact on the world around us.

Across our diverse and expanding portfolio of confectionery, food, and pet care products and services, we employ 133,000 dedicated Associates who are all moving in the same direction: forward. With $40 billion in annual sales, we produce some of the world’s best-loved brands including DOVE®, EXTRA®, M&M’s®, MILKY WAY®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, ORBIT®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, SKITTLES®, BEN’S ORIGINAL™, WHISKAS®, COCOAVIA®, and 5™; and take care of half of the world’s pets through our nutrition, health and services businesses, including AniCura, Banfield Pet Hospitals™, BluePearl®, Linnaeus, and VCA™.

We know we can only be truly successful if our partners and the communities in which we operate prosper as well. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire our Associates to take action every day to help create a world tomorrow in which the planet, its people and pets can thrive.

For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

About Mars Veterinary Health

Mars Veterinary Health is a global division within Mars Petcare – more than 65,000 Associates strong –dedicated to delivering high-quality pet healthcare to further our collective Purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS. As part of the Mars family of businesses, Mars Veterinary Health associates honor the Five Principles, a core set of common values that drive decision-making to operate more than 2,500 veterinary clinics in a way that is mutual, ethical and – above all – puts pets and people first. The veterinary profession is a calling, and dedicated associates at Banfield, VCA, BluePearl, AniCura, Linnaeus, VSH and Antech demonstrate their compassion and expertise by providing care to more than 25 million pets each year. As a company, we are committed to improving the lives of pets, clients and associates – as well as advancing the profession; we deliver on this promise by using our size, scale and position in the broader Mars Petcare ecosystem to improve pet health outcomes, drive innovation and give our associates the tools and support they need to grow their careers.

About BHJ

BHJ is a leading global supplier of animal proteins for the international food and pet food industries. BHJ is represented in 14 countries with own companies, offices and plants and work with raw material suppliers and customers world-wide. BHJ is a part of the American group The Lauridsen Group Inc. (LGI).

About Silgan Containers

Silgan Containers, a subsidiary of Silgan Holdings, is the largest manufacturer of metal food containers in North America, with net sales of $2.2 billion in 2020. Silgan’s partnership approach, supported by quality, service, technology, low-cost producer position, strategically-located geographic locations and extensive consumer research, is the cornerstone of its strong customer relationships. For more information, visit: www.silgancontainers.com.

About Commodity Risk Solution

Commodity Risk Solution, LLC (CRS) is a global corporate renewable energy advisor with the mission to expand the renewable energy market by making industry-leading renewable energy transactions more accessible and affordable to all organizations. CRS delivers customized, innovative deal structures centered around mutual outcomes.  A key area of focus is organizing and leading renewable energy buyers’ consortiums.  CRS has supported clients in delivering 100% renewable energy solutions in various geographies including the US, the UK, Australia, and Mexico.

Media Contacts

Apex Clean Energy
Cat Strumlauf
Director | Corporate Communications
(434) 227-4196
cat.strumlauf@apexcleanenergy.com

Silgan Containers
Carolyn Takata
Director of Marketing
(818) 710-3700
ctakata@silgancontainers.com