Page 9 - Energize July 2022

NEWS

African solar company of

the year nominee

olarise Africa, a Pan-African energy-as-a-service company, has been nominated
for the “African Solar Company of The Year” award in the AFSIA Solar Awards
S2022. The nominees were selected by a jury of professionals from across the
solar energy sector in Africa.
“We are honoured to be nominated,” said Jan-Albert Valk, CEO and co-founder at
Solarise Africa. “What started in 2017 as three individuals with a shared vision, is now
a high performing team of 24 employees from 12 nationalities fluent in 30 languages
working from six locations. We have 23 projects installed in Africa and 64% of our
total footprint has been commissioned since June last year alone, clearly illustrating Jan-Albert Valk
the company’s growth trajectory. Plus, we have a strong portfolio of projects currently
under development and an even greater healthy and diverse pipeline”.
solar plant consists of 3334 solar panels
The company’s PV footprint includes: and has an annual generation capacity
• Fighting climate change by powering one of the largest recyclers in Africa of 2,3 GWh. It will reduce its electricity
• Advancing health care through an installation at a health clinic in Rwanda cost by an estimated 72% and will save
• Improving food security by powering resource-conscious fish farms in Kenya the company around $5,3 million over
• Supporting education through a renewable energy solution at the largest privately the course of its lifecycle. It will also
run university in Rwanda improve its carbon footprint by reducing
• Strengthening sustainable fashion by powering a top apparel maker in East Africa the factory’s carbon emissions by 33
100 tonnes, the equivalent of the CO 2
Valk continued, “we have established ourselves as a reliable and credible partner in absorbed by more than 64 500 trees.”
Africa and are fully committed to providing reliable and affordable renewable energy “With our 1,8 MWp solar PV plant,
for businesses in Africa, now, and for many years to come”. we have achieved the first step in
Solarise Africa also received two nominations in the “C&I Solar Project of The Year” reaching our ambitious targets, and we
category: Recycling firm switches to solar PV to help tackle climate change. are very proud to do our part to reduce
“At Solarise Africa, we believe in collaboration and working with our partners to our energy costs while protecting the
help Africa thrive,” said Valk. “A very good example of this is one of our nominations environment,” said Amit Bedi, UAL
- our project with Extrupet, one of the largest recyclers of plastics in Africa, that Managing Director.
commenced operation of their 1,3 MWp solar power plant at the end of last year.”
Extrupet recycles more than four million PET bottles every day at its Wadeville The AFSIA Solar Awards
facility in South Africa. Their new 1,3 MWp solar plant has an annual generation ”The high level and the number of
capacity of 2 GWh and will reduce its carbon emissions by 1800 tonnes every year, applications show, once again, the
which is equal to the carbon sequestered by just under 31 000 tree seedlings grown for vitality of the solar energy sector, which
ten years. now attracts the biggest international
“Not only is solar energy better for the environment, but it will also bring down players,” said Anita Otubu, head of the
electricity costs an estimated 30% from the first month and savings of around R130 project management unit of the NEP,
million to R140 million over the course of the lifecycle of the solar plant,” said Sakkie REA Nigeria and a member of the Awards
van Wijk, the chief operating officer and co-founder of Solarise Africa. jury. “Applications came from more than
“Climate change is the greatest existential threat ever faced by humanity,” said 20 different countries: a record for this
Vijay Naidu, joint managing director at Extrupet. “It is the duty of every organisation competition. The AFSIA Solar Awards
to change the way it does business and adopt eco-friendly practices to help reduce provides the perfect platform to recognize,
climate change. Being one of the pioneering recycling companies in Africa, everything confirm and show gratitude for great work
we do is dedicated to building a greener tomorrow. We are always looking at new ways being undertaken and accomplished in the
to reduce energy expenditure and decrease our impact on the environment, and a renewable energy space.”
switch to solar energy was the next logical step towards a sustainable future.” The winners will be announced during
“We are also very proud of our second nomination,” continued Valk. “Earlier this an exceptional event on 23 June 2022, at
year we inaugurated the largest rooftop solar PV plant in East Africa. The 1,8 MWp the Africa Energy Forum in Brussels.

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