New Solar Panels at MilliporeSigma's Wisconsin Site Add Renewable Energy to Power Grid

• 7,000 solar panels produce energy to power 700 homes
• Part of We Energies’ “Solar Now” program, bringing more renewable energy to Wisconsin
• Reinforces company’s long-term commitment to renewable energy

BURLINGTON, Mass., July 19, 2022 /3BL Media/ - MilliporeSigma, the U.S. and Canada Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, adds 2.25 megawatts to the grid with 7,000 solar panels at its Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA site, which are now fully installed. The project is part of a 30-year land leasing agreement with We Energies, the electric service company for the region.

“This is the longest renewable energy contract in company history,” said Jeffrey Whitford, Head of Sustainability and Social Business Innovation for the Life Science business sector of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. “It reinforces our commitment to bringing more renewable energy to the grid with long-term contracts as part of our broader sustainability strategy to reduce resource consumption.”

As part of its “Solar Now” program, We Energies has now fully installed 7,000 solar panels across approximately 11 acres of land on MilliporeSigma’s Sheboygan campus. The solar panels can produce enough energy to power nearly 700 homes. MilliporeSigma will receive approximately 4,000 renewable energy certificates produced by the panels per year. Those certificates match 16% of the Sheboygan site’s energy consumption.

The solar energy project in Sheboygan directly supports the company in achieving its goal of becoming climate neutral by 2040, in line with its sustainability strategy. By 2030, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, aims to cover 80% of its electricity with renewables, and reduce direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 50% compared to a 2020 baseline.

The announcement of the completed solar energy project follows MilliporeSigma’s recent ground-breaking of the first lateral flow membrane production facility in the United States. The facility, built at the Sheboygan site, will manufacture the company’s Hi-Flow™ Plus lateral flow membrane used in rapid diagnostic test kit manufacturing, including those for Covid-19.

For more information about MilliporeSigma’s commitment to expanding its renewable energy portfolio both on- and off-site, as well as additional efforts to support and advance the renewable energy industry, click here.

About the Life Science Business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
The Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, which operates as MilliporeSigma in the U.S. and Canada, has more than 26,000 employees and more than 55 total manufacturing and testing sites worldwide, with a portfolio of more than 300,000 products focused on scientific discovery, biomanufacturing and testing services. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, operates across healthcare, life science and electronics.

More than 60,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people’s lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From advancing gene-editing technologies and discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2021, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany generated sales of €19.7 billion in 66 countries.

The company holds the global rights to the name and trademark “Merck” internationally. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany operate as EMD Serono in healthcare, MilliporeSigma in life science, and EMD Electronics. Since its founding 1668, scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to the company’s technological and scientific advances. To this day, the founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. For more information about Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, visit www.emdgroup.com.

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