The Managing Director of Kasapreko Company Limited (KCL), Mr Richard Adjei, has advised manufacturers to add solar to their energy mix to help reduce their cost of production and lessen the burden on the national grid.
Beyond being cost-effective, Mr Adjei said at a news briefing in Accra yesterday that electricity from solar energy was stable and reliable, making it a better option for manufacturing companies that required consistent and uninterrupted power to operate their plants.
Using Kasapreko as an example, the MD said the company had been making monthly savings of GH¢10,000 since it started utilising power from a 400.4 kilowatt (kWh) solar plant developed by Yingli Namene West Africa.
He said the payment terms were also flexible, thereby making electricity from solar energy a preferred option to the one from the national grid.
“We pay on a monthly basis, which is cheaper than electricity from the Power Distribution Services,” he said.
As a leading beverage manufacturer, Mr Adjei said Kasapreko was hopeful that its positive experience with solar provided by Yingli Namene would motivate other manufacturers to add the resource to their energy mix.
Media tour
Mr Adjei made this known when he spoke to the media before a tour of the 400.4kWh plant.
The facility was designed and installed by Yingli Namene West Africa and financed by CrossBoundary Energy, under a special arrangement that allows Kasapreko to ultimately own it.
Per the arrangement, Yingli Namene, a solar power developer and installer, will maintain and service the plant as a technical partner.
The plant powers Kasapreko’s Bottling Line at Spintex in Accra.
Kasapreko’s MD said since November last year when the solar plant became operational, the company had reduced its reliance on the national grid by 3.8 per cent, which he said translated into the monthly savings of GH¢10,000.
Asked how the savings in energy cost would translate into benefits for consumers, Mr Adjei said although it would depend on market dynamics, it would ultimately make the company’s products competitive.
Carbon emissions
Mr Adjei said Kasapreko expected to increase its energy reliance on solar to 16 per cent when the second phase of the project was completed.
“The second phase, which will also be installed by Yingli Namene West Africa, will add about 1,200 kWh to the company’s energy resources”, he said.
He added that the company’s estimates showed that its savings would increase to GH¢500,000 per annum when the second phase came on board.
This will also help the company to significantly reduce its carbon emission, thereby making it an environmentally friendly company.
It is estimated that the solar plant will help Kasapreko reduce its carbon emissions by over 4,600 tonnes over the lifespan of the plant.
Yingli Namene West Africa MD
The MD of Yingli Namene West Africa, Mr Firmin Nkamleu Ngassam, said his outfit was excited to partner Kasapreko, a leader in the beverage industry.
He said unlike other companies that required huge upfront payments before they could install solar energy for clients, Yingli Namene and its partners had put in place a seamless financial arrangement that made it possible for companies to add solar to their energy mix without down payments.
