- Shoprite now generates 12300 MWh of electricity annually from rooftop solar PV at 19 of its locations.
- The group’s largest installation is at Basson distribution centre in Brackenfell, South Africa.
- The Group intends to procure 434,000 MWh of renewable energy per year for the next seven years.
The Shoprite Group is banking on renewable energy to reduce its carbon footprint. The group now self generates 12300 MWh of electricity annually from rooftop solar PV at 19 of its locations in South Africa and Namibia. Shoprite has also fitted its refrigerated trucks with 649 solar panels generating 760 MWh annually, allowing the freezers to run while the vehicles are turned off, reducing noise and exhaust pollution.
The group’s largest installation is at Basson distribution centre in Brackenfell, South Africa. The centre is fitted with enough solar panels equivalent to the area of a football field. The panels have a generating capacity of 1MW.
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Sanjeev Raghubir, Sustainability Manager for the Shoprite Group, notes that Shoprite recognises the direct and indirect risks that climate change poses to its business and the communities. “Therefore, we are taking measures to tread more lightly on our planet. Apart from these solar panel installations, we have also signed an agreement that will see the Group procure 434.000 MWh of renewable energy per year for the next seven years. We are the first retailer to close such a deal, which is arguably the first of its kind in Africa,” he added.
The group is also big on energy efficiency and has replaced fluorescent lamps with energy-efficient LED lamps. The process has reduced energy consumption by 83.8 million kWh.