CARBON FOOTPRINT AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IN A CARBONATED SOFT DRINKS PLANT IN NIGERIA: A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT

Abstract

The soft drinks market in Nigeria is growing rapidly with projections indicating a 19.64% increase between 2024 and 2028, resulting in a market volume of US$96.72 billion in 2028. However, this expansion comes with rising greenhouse gas emissions and energy demands, particularly due to the energy-intensive production processes like sugar dissolution, heating, cooling, bottling and packaging associated with carbonated soft drinks. The study presents a preliminary carbon footprint and greenhouse gas assessment of a Nigerian carbonated soft drinks plant, with a focus on electricity consumption over a six-month period. The analysis was conducted following the Greenhouse Gas Protocol; considering Scope 1 (direct fuel use) emission and Scope 2 (purchased electricity) emissions. Results show that, the overall Global Warming Potential produced stood at 21224780 kgCO2eq at carbon intensity of 1.75 kgCO2eq/kwh. The Automotive Gas Oil (diesel), Liquefied Natural Gas, and Grid electricity contributed 37%, 61%, and 2% respectively to the plant’s Global Warming Potential; with no significant Greenhouse Gas emissions impact recorded in the hybrid photovoltaic solar source. These findings not only establish a baseline for carbon emissions within the Nigerian carbonated soft drinks sector, but also provide actionable insights for transitioning to green manufacturing.