Cargill opens renewable energy plant

By Gwen Ridler

- Last updated on GMT

Cargill has opened a solar energy plant at its Ghana coca and chocolate factory
Cargill has opened a solar energy plant at its Ghana coca and chocolate factory
Cargill has opened a new solar power facility at its cocoa and chocolate site in Tema, Ghana, part of its global strategy of investing in environmentally friendly, renewable ways of generating power for industrial production.

The site is a fully automated, digital photovoltaic solar system, which augments energy needs at the factory and boosts Ghana’s renewable energy portfolio by producing 764MWh of electricity a year.

The solar energy produced at the plant is equivalent to powering up to 400 homes with electricity for a year, claimed Cargill.

‘Reduce greenhouse gas intensity’

Pieter Reichert, md of Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate in Ghana, said: “Cargill sets ambitious targets every five years to reduce greenhouse gas intensity, improve energy efficiency and increase renewables as a part of our portfolio.

“One of those targets is to increase renewables to 18% of our global energy portfolio by 2020. Today, 14% of our energy needs are met by renewables and this solar project will help us realise our 2020 goal​.”

The solar facility is part of a range of solutions Cargill has implemented at the Tema site to improve its environmental footprint.

Improve its environmental footprint

Other recent projects include the installation of LED lighting, an energy-efficient grinding facility and a biomass boiler.

Collectively, all four projects at the Tema sites have resulted in a 32% decrease in energy consumption, a 71% reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and 66% renewable energy generation.

Speaking at the site’s opening, deputy minister for trade and industry, Hon Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, said: “The government is committed to increasing the nation’s renewable energy generation capacity and is hopeful that others in the Ghanaian cocoa industry will follow Cargill’s lead.​”

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