Unilever Installs Solar Panels, Potentially Reducing Emissions by 1,500 tons per Year

PT Unilever Indonesia, Tbk is aggressively promoting emission reduction actions by switching to renewable energy throughout its operations, one of which is by inaugurating a solar panel installation project at the Beauty & Wellbeing and Nutrition factory located in Jababeka Industrial Estate, Cikarang, West Java.

This project is an important part of Unilevers efforts to achieve the Climate Transition Action Plan (CTAP) in Indonesia which has a capacity of 2.5 MWp and is one of the largest solar panels in the Jababeka area which has the potential to reduce emissions by 1,500 tons per year.

The inauguration ceremony was also attended by the Director General of New Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of the Republic of Indonesia Yudho Dwinanda Priaadi. In his remarks, he said that the Government is strongly committed to contributing to addressing climate change issues through various steps and policies.

The utilization of solar panels is the optimal solution for industrial sectors that use high amounts of energy intensively, in addition to being able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to the transition step towards renewable energy.

"The government appreciates PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk for being part of a joint effort to encourage the use of renewable energy and help reduce the carbon footprint with innovation and collaboration," Yudho said.

As a company that has been operating for almost 90 years, Unilever Indonesia always takes real action through programs under the global strategy "The Unilever Compass" with its first pillar of building a more sustainable planet. President Director of Unilever Indonesia, Ira Noviarti emphasized the Companys commitment to fully support the governments agenda in terms of renewable energy and Net Zero Emission targets.

"Switching to solar energy as a clean energy source, especially in our factory is one of the concrete steps to ensure that we are able to contribute to reducing emissions significantly. It is predicted that the installation of solar panels at our factory will be able to reduce CO2 emissions by 1,500 tons per year, which is equivalent to planting 20,000 trees," Ira said.

In addition to reducing emissions, Ira revealed that the installation of solar panels also supports the efficiency efforts that Unilever Indonesia continues to carry out on the operational side. In the midst of fluctuating commodity prices, especially natural gas as one of the main ingredients for electricity generation, electricity obtained from solar panels will have the potential to save costs.

"This is an important milestone for Unilever Indonesia in its ongoing efforts to reduce its environmental footprint by promoting sustainable practices throughout the companys value chain. Hopefully more companies will join in the same effort, so that collectively we can create a more efficient and environmentally friendly industrial climate", Ira concluded.