Reynolds American Inc. (Reynolds), the BAT Group’s U.S. subsidiary, announces that one of its operating companies has entered into an agreement with a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources to construct a water reclamation plant on-site at the expansive Reynolds Operations Center in Tobaccoville, N.C.
NextEra Energy Resources’ WaterHubSM installation at Tobaccoville is projected to reclaim more than 60 million gallons of water a year, equivalent to the annual water supply of approximately 550 average U.S. households, reducing Reynolds’ environmental footprint and contributing to the BAT Group’s Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) goals.
The WaterHub at the Reynolds Operations Center will be one of a few projects of its size designed to capture a combined wastewater stream from the plant, treat it to North Carolina reclaim water standards, and then reintroduce it as intake water for the factory utilities, reducing the use of valuable drinking water at the facility.
“We are so proud to embark on the WaterHub project with NextEra Energy Resources at our flagship operations center in the U.S.,” said Bernd Meyer, executive vice president of operations at the Reynolds organization. “This project is not only a first for Reynolds, but for the entire global BAT Group and is an important step toward reaching Reynolds’ water stewardship targets for 2025. Through the WaterHub, Reynolds is playing its part in the BAT Group’s progress against its goal of 35% less water withdrawn across global operations.”
NextEra Energy Resources’ WaterHub installation includes plans to break ground on the project in Tobaccoville in the fall of 2023. The project is forecasted to be finalized and fully operational by the end of 2024.
“The WaterHub at the Reynolds Operations Center represents a significant step forward in environmental sustainability, demonstrating both NextEra Energy Resources’ and Reynolds’ commitment to promoting responsible water stewardship,” said Matt Ulman, vice president of Distributed Generation for NextEra Energy Resources. “By implementing advanced water reclamation technologies, we are able to help Reynolds reduce its dependence on potable water for factory utility operations and lower its overall environmental footprint. We are proud to work with Reynolds on this initiative, which aligns with our mission to deliver innovative and reliable sustainability solutions to our customers.”
This project complements the BAT Group’s work to use water efficiently across its global operations facilities. In 2022, the Reynolds Operations Center became the 17th BAT Group facility to achieve Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) certification and is one of 250 organizations worldwide to earn the respected designation as of 2022. Additional Reynolds facilities are also currently undergoing the certification process.