Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) is installing rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) units, with a combined installed capacity of 10.4 MW, at 11 of its sites.

10 sites will be completed by the end of the year, with the 11th expected to be completed by the end of February 2019.

Under a 25-year power purchase agreement with renewable energy developer and strategic equity investor Mulilo Group, the plants will produce over 18-million kilowatt-hours a year of renewable energy for CCBSA.

The plants will also realise substantial savings in electricity drawn from the grid, while cutting carbon emissions by 14 000 t/y. 

Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, of which CCBSA is the South African arm, has a deep commitment to sustainability and the environment, which can be seen in its manufacturing facilities in South Africa and Africa continuously striving to reduce their energy and water consumption.  

CCBSA used 9.64-million kilowatt-hours less electricity last year and has improved its electricity use per litre of beverages produced by 9.24% over the last three years. 

Globally, renewable energy and solar PV, in particular, have made massive advances and a phased shift away from fossil fuels is now a key part of responsible business practice.

Multiskilled sustainable engineering solutions provider Romano is a partner in the project, and was awarded the CCBSA project after a 24-month bid period.

Investec, through its Power and Infrastructure Finance division, were the lead arrangers for the transaction, which is funded using a power purchase agreement.

“We provide roof for suppliers, who then invest capital and generate power. Our cost to integrate into the system and to upgrade roof is around R2-million. We pay these investors as we use solar generated power, and this is cheaper than the municipal power cost in rand/kWh,” CCBSA engineering and sustainability head Abdul Bhol told Engineering News Online.