Page 12 - Energize August 2021

NEWS

Plastics recycler switches to solar energy to help tackle climate change

ew state-of-the-art 1.3MWp solar power plant to power green example that has been set by Extrupet to decrease their carbon
recycling for the African continent. footprint. We encourage our members to find ways of integrating
NExtrupet, said to be one of the largest and most advanced renewable energy into our industry and wholeheartedly support any
recyclers of plastics on the African continent, has commenced efforts that help stave off climate change”.
the operation of its brand new 1,3 MW solar power plant, built in Cheri Scholtz, PETCO’s CEO also congratulated Extrupet on
collaboration with Solarise Africa and NEC XON. The company recycles this project. “Not only will it help to alleviate the lost production
more than four million PET bottles every day at its Wadeville facility. time from load shedding, it will also offset the use of carbon-
“Climate change is the greatest existential threat ever faced by based electricity and improve the current carbon footprint of this
humanity. It is the duty of every organisation to change the way it important bottle-to-bottle plant. The investment in renewable power
does business and adopt eco-friendly practices to help reduce climate by Extrupet deserves recognition and we wish the project every
change,” said Vijay Naidu, the joint managing director at Extrupet. success”, she said.
“Being one of the pioneering recycling companies in Africa, Solarise Africa is a pan-African energy leasing company.
everything we do is dedicated to building a greener tomorrow. Through their smart financing solutions, they unlock possibilities
We are always looking at new ways to reduce energy expenditure and and empower their partners to thrive and actively drive Africa’s
decrease our impact on the environment, and a switch to progress. Solarise Africa works with a selected group of renewable
solar energy was the next logical step towards a sustainable future,” energy solution companies, and they collaborate very closely with
he continued. their partners to provide a range of tailor-made financial solutions
The 1,3 MW solar plant has an annual generation capacity of for their customers. They offer innovative leasing solutions that
2 GWh and will reduce the company’s carbon emissions by 1800 t per require minimal capital expenditure with short payback periods
year, which is equal to the carbon sequestered by just under 31 000 that help companies save money. For more information, please visit
tree seedlings grown for ten years. www.solariseafrica.com
“We started the journey with Solarise Africa and NEC XON two NEC XON is the combination of XON, a Systems Integrator
years ago and today we are proud to be one of the first companies providing custom ICT and security services and solutions in Southern
in the recycling industry to adopt solar power. This is a significant Africa since 1996, and NEC Africa, the African business of the global
investment, and we challenge other industries to do the same. We technology giant NEC Corporation. NEC Corporation implemented
look forward to a very long and fruitful relationship with Solarise its first communication solution in Africa in 1963 and established
Africa and NEC XON,” Naidu said. NEC Africa in 2011 to grow its business ICT and public safety. Kapela
Solarise Africa provided the full-service commercial solution to Capital (Pty) Ltd, XON’s B-BBEE partner since 2010, continues as
finance the project. “In addition to being one of the most innovative NEC XON’s B-BBEE partner in South Africa, with Israel Skosana as
recyclers on the African continent, Extrupet wanted to take its chairman of the board of directors of NEC XON. NEC generates global
commitment to sustainable development even further by utilising revenues in excess of $30 billion by orchestrating a brighter world for
solar power,” said Sakkie van Wijk, the chief commercial officer at public entities, enterprises, telecoms carriers, and providing system
Solarise Africa. platforms for businesses. The combined NEC Africa and XON (NEC
“Not only is solar energy better for the environment, but it will XON) operations seek to explore the opportunities more fully for
also reduce electricity costs by about 30% from the first month with safe city, energy, cyber security, telecommunication solutions, retail,
savings of around R130-million to R140-million over the course of the managed services, cyber defence services and cloud (both public and
lifecycle of the solar plant.” private), among others, in sub-Sahara Africa. NEC XON maintains its
“At Solarise Africa, we believe in collaboration and working with head offices in Gauteng, South Africa with a footprint that covers all
our partners to help Africa thrive. In spite of the global pandemic nine provinces in South Africa and 16 countries in sub-Sahara Africa.
and all the related challenges, the team managed to deliver on time.
We are proud to partner with Extrupet and NEC XON to help tackle Contact Mark Harris, NEC XON, Tel 011 237-4500,
climate change,” van Wijk concluded. mark@nec.xon.co.za
The engineering, procurement and construction was managed
by NEC XON, the combination of XON, a systems integrator providing
custom ICT and security services and solutions in Southern Africa,
and NEC Africa, the African business of global technology giant NEC
Corporation. “The successful delivery of this solar plant is a very
proud moment for us,” said Herman Viljoen, Head of Alternative
Energy Pre-Sale at NEC XON.
“This project was particularly interesting because of the high
voltage system and transformer integration. This 1,3 MW solar
installation will produce an average 2 GWh of energy every year,
and not only will it provide energy at a reduced cost, but it will also
ensure that Extrupet has a consistent and reliable power supply, even
when the national grid is under severe strain.”
Lungani Zwane, PETCO’s recycling programme officer, also
attended the inauguration. “We are excited and encouraged by the

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