Nigerian Bottling Company powers 50% plant capacity through solar

In line with a commitment to achieve its target of Net Zero emissions by 2040, Nigerian Bottling Company Ltd. (NBC) says 50 percent of the company’s manufacturing plants are now powered by solar energy.

The move is expected to bolster its solid credentials in pioneering sustainable manufacturing in Nigeria and comes on the heels of a series of steady investments the company has made towards sustainable manufacturing.

During a media tour of its Ikeja plant, Matthieu Seguin, Managing Director of NBC, disclosed that the Company has made significant investments in optimising its energy mix to incorporate more renewable energy sources.

According to Seguin, “today, we can celebrate the fact that 50percent of our manufacturing plants are now powered in part by solar energy from photovoltaic cells which deliver up to 3,640-Kilowatt peak power output (KWp) to the facilities. The power delivered by these installations can power over 2,100 three-bedroom homes.”

The company noted that eight NBC manufacturing plants in Nigeria such as the Challawa (Kano), Asejire (Oyo), Maiduguri and Abuja plants have adopted the innovation and have commenced the process of migrating its manufacturing plants to solar energy sources.

NBC explained that the hybrid power set up in these plants would allow them to substitute the national power grid and generator backups to the extent of available solar-generated power, thereby reducing the consumption of power from less environmentally friendly sources.

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“As a business, we have made an uncompromising commitment to minimise our environmental footprint whilst enriching the communities where we operate. It is clear that one of the major challenges facing sustainable manufacturing is Carbon emissions from non-renewable energy sources,” NBC said in a statement.

“We have taken this challenge head on and over the years, we have invested in solutions which deliver significant advancements in energy use reduction, water use reduction, emissions reduction, and waste generation reduction,” It added.

Also, the company announced it will be implementing solar power solutions in its Ikeja, Benin, Owerri and Port Harcourt plants, bringing its total installed capacity to 15,947 KWp from solar energy alone which is equivalent to saving over 167,000 trees.

“The existing solar power installations translate to an annual carbon footprint reduction of over 3,600 tons, with the capacity for expansion in the future. Beyond the direct impact on reduced emissions, the project also supported 300 jobs with an additional 480 jobs forecasted to be created across the value chain this year,” NBC noted.

The Company also explained its huge investment in Combined Heat and Power Plants (CHP) in five of its manufacturing plants which include NBC Port-Harcourt, Ikeja, Benin, Owerri and Asejire Plants.

“This five CHP generates 25.5Mw of power delivering 125,267MWh of electrical energy, including 68,267MWh as steam energy, as a by-product,” NBC said.