All of AkzoNobel's paint and coatings production in the Netherlands is now powered by green energy, marking another milestone on the company's journey to becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

An agreement has been signed with energy company Eneco which means the company's facilities in Sassenheim, Wapenveld, Groot Ammers and Ammerzoden are now entirely using electricity generated by wind power.

The contract - which runs until 2020 and includes providing power to all the company's Sikkens stores - involves the supply of 66 GWh a year, equivalent to the energy consumed by a city with 33,000 inhabitants. AkzoNobel will also reduce its annual CO2 emissions by 19 kilotons.

"This is an important agreement which secures the supply of sustainably generated electricity for some of our less energy intensive locations," said Marcel Galjee, Director of Energy at AkzoNobel. "It signals the next step in further reducing our CO2 emissions and demonstrates our commitment to resource efficiency, which was highlighted by the company's recent number one ranking on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index."

Added Bram Poeth, Managing Director Eneco Business: "We are proud to be supplying green energy to all of AkzoNobel's paint facilities in the Netherlands. It builds on the agreement we already have in place to provide bio-steam at AkzoNobel in Delfzijl and creates an even stronger partnership as we work together towards a more sustainable the Netherlands."

The Eneco contract follows two agreements announced by AkzoNobel last year which involve purchasing wind energy (together with Google, DSM and Philips) directly from new wind farms currently under construction in the Netherlands - Krammer and Bouwdokken. The company also uses sustainably generated steam at its sites in Hengelo and Delfzijl.

Currently, 40% of AkzoNobel's worldwide energy consumption is renewable, while 2016 saw nearly half the company's locations improve their energy use. The aim for 2050 is to use 100% renewable energy.