Personal care and hygiene products manufacturer Kimberly-Clark has signed a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with energy company Energy Partners (EP), which will install a 2.2 MW rooftop solar photovoltaic system at the manufacturer’s Epping facility, in Cape Town.
Once completed, the system will produce 3 478 MWh/y, saving more than 3 130 t of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
The system’s design was developed in close collaboration with Kimberly-Clark’s local and international engineers and project managers to ensure compliance with regulatory and design specifications.
Construction of the system, which will include 4 000 solar panels, will start shortly, and the system is expected to produce its first clean energy this year, the company says.
“The new rooftop solar photovoltaic systems will enhance Kimberly-Clark’s capacity to manage electricity consumption, while also enabling it to substantially increase its renewables penetration, as part of its journey to meeting its 2030 sustainability goals,” says EP Power GM Charl du Plessis.
“We are committed to reducing our environmental footprint, and this project will contribute towards helping us meet our 2030 goal to reduce total emissions by 50% compared to 2015 globally,” adds Kimberly-Clark sub-Saharan Africa GM Steven Hayes.
“The installation of this rooftop solar photovoltaic system and partnership with EP is a significant step towards achieving our renewable energy targets, and we are proud to be part of the solution in creating a more sustainable future for South Africa,” he comments.