Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) has declared its pilot solar energy project a success.
MBSA piloted the project in order to evaluate the solar yield for the East London manufacturing plant, in the Eastern Cape.
The 360 kW-peak solar array was installed on the roof of its recently commissioned body-shop building.
Since the start of the pilot project in January, the project has delivered “impressive solar yields”, says MBSA, moving the manufacturer closer towards its vision of carbon-neutral production.
Mercedes-Benz, MBSA’s parent company, intends to go all-electric by 2030. It also aims to cut its carbon footprint per passenger car by more than half by the same year, compared with 2020 levels.
To achieve this goal will entail not only electrifying the vehicle fleet, but also charging these vehicles with green energy; improving battery technology; implementing the extensive use of recycled materials; and expanding the use of renewable energy in production.
Mercedes-Benz plans to cover more than 70% of its energy needs through renewable energy by 2030, by rolling out solar and wind power at its own sites, as well as by implementing power purchase agreements. It is in line with this ambition that MBSA piloted a solar project in East London.
The next phase of the project will be to provide the plant’s baseload requirement through future projects on newly commissioned buildings.