Oyo State governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, today formally commissioned a 663.6 kilowatts per hour(kWp) solar plant at the Ibadan brewery of Nigerian Breweries Plc, Nigeria’s foremost brewing company.
Speaking at the ceremony held to inaugurate the Solar Power Plant at its Ibadan Brewery on Thursday, May 20, 2021,Executive Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Oluseyi Makinde applauded the management of Nigerian Breweries Plc for building a solar Plant that is aimed at promoting environmental sustainability stating that his administration would continue to play its part in creating an environment that supports enterprise
Makinde equally commended the commitment of the company towards achieving its target of 70% renewable energy usage by 2030 noting that the completion of the Ibadan Solar Power Plant has clearly demonstrated its determination to reach the goal.
“This is another first in Oyo State.When history will be written how NB Plc shifted from electricity to renewable energy, it would be said that Ibadan Plant was the first”, he added.
In his welcome remarks, Chairman, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Chief Kola Jamodu commended the governor for his efforts in positioning the state as an investment destination and creating a conducive environment for businesses to thrive which had encouraged the company to site the pilot of its solar power project in Ibadan.
Jamodu expressed his delight at the project completion, describing it as a demonstration of NB’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
Delivering his keynote speech, the Managing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Jordi Borrut Bel described the project as a first of its kind in the manufacturing sector as Nigerian Breweries is the first brewer in Nigeria to commission a solar power plant to provide renewable, clean energy.
Bel disclosed that in addition to this solar plant in Ibadan, the company is already developing other renewable energy plants in its other breweries to ensure that 70% of electricity used in all of its breweries are powered from clean sources.
“We are not only interested in being Number 1 in Sales and profitability. We also want to be number 1 in environmental sustainability – ensuring that the communities where our breweries are located benefit from our operations in the best possible way.
Apart from developing renewable energies to ensure cleaner air, we are also investing heavily in ensuring cleaner water for our communities. As such, we have taken great pains to build a state of the art, waste water treatment plant in our breweries to ensure that we do not cause water pollution. All wastewater produced from the brewery are properly treated and monitored in line with regulatory requirements before they are discharged, making them safe and not harmful to acquatic life and the environment in general”, he said.
Built at the cost of about N300 million, the plant is part of NB Plc’s Brew A Better World sustainability agenda, which is aimed at meeting the company’s carbon neutrality targets through increased energy efficiency in its production.
The plant was built through a fully financed solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) executed with Crossboundary Energy Limited. It is expected to supply approximately 800 MWh to the brewery annually, providing a significant reduction to the current cost of power, while also reducing the plant’s CO2 emissions by over 10,000 tonnes over the lifespan of the plant.
On arrival, the governor was welcomed by the members of the Nigerian Breweries Plc Board of Directors and Executive Committee led by its Chairman, Chief Dr. Kola Jamodu, CFR.
