THE WHAT? Unilever has invested Sh70 million in an 800kW solar power system at its Nairobi manufacturing facility as it seeks to reduce energy costs and strengthen production resilience.
THE DETAILS The solar installation is expected to provide approximately 30 percent of the factory’s electricity and reduce annual energy costs by around Sh30 million. Combined with an earlier switch from heavy fuel oil to biomass for its boilers, Unilever said the measures have reduced carbon emissions at the Nairobi facility by approximately 40 percent compared with its 2023 baseline. The company’s next decarbonisation phase will focus on replacing HFO used for hot-air generation with biomass-based fuels.
THE WHY? The investment reduces Unilever’s exposure to energy price volatility while improving the cost competitiveness and resilience of its Kenyan manufacturing operations, as the group increases renewable energy use across its production network.
Source: The Standard
