Coca-Cola launches N$5.7 million solar power system in Windhoek
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) has recently installed 1740 solar panels and nine solar inverters worth over N$5.7 million on the roof of the Coca-Cola Namibia Bottling Company.
The factory will now derive 9% of its total power requirements from the sun. In a year, the new system is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 832 tonnes. A feasibility study is currently being concluded for using solar power as a clean, sustainable, Distributed Energy Resource across nine of the 12 African countries in which Coca Cola currently operates.
“The project makes a compelling case for implementing solar powered systems at a number of sites across Coca-Cola’s operations in at least three other countries,” CCBA Chief Executive, Jacques Vermeulen said.
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa’s sustainability initiatives are aligned with the needs of the communities in which it operates. In this context, reliable access to good, safe water is essential to life, nature and the health of communities, especially in water-stressed countries such as Namibia.
The Coca-Cola system is targeting to use 1.7 litres of water to produce 1 litres of product across all operations by 2020. At Namibia Bottling Company water consumption has been reduced from 2.57 litres of water to produce 1 litre of product in 2015 to 1.59 litres in 2018.
