Nouryon brings US solar project online

Specialty chemicals firm Nouryon has announced it has started generating solar power at its manufacturing plant in Morris, Ill., the company’s first solar project in the US. Developed in partnership with local energy provider Convergent Energy and Power, the installation supplies electricity directly to the site, advancing the company’s plans to use more electricity from renewable and low-carbon sources across its global operations. Nouryon expects the system to generate about 3,400 megawatt-hours of electricity a year, enough to cover about 10% of the site’s electricity needs and avoid an estimated 1,152 tonnes/year of greenhouse gas emissions.

“Every project like Morris moves us closer to our goal of running more plants on electricity from renewable and low-carbon sources,” said Eduardo Nardinelli, senior vice president, South America and carbon business strategy at Nouryon. “It is a practical and responsible step toward achieving the greenhouse gas emission reduction target we have committed to for 2030 and beyond.”

Nouryon’s Morris facility produces ingredients used in everyday products like cleaning, personal care and crop protection. This project is the latest in a series of on-site renewable energy projects the company has brought online, following recent installations in Mons, Belgium; Singapore; and Guangzhou, China. The company plans to continue investing in renewable energy across its global network of plants, including upcoming projects in Fort Worth and Houston, Texas; and Asa, Japan.

In 2025, renewable sources supplied 54% of Nouryon’s total electricity worldwide. As part of its sustainability goals, the company has set a target to cut its absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 from a 2019 baseline.