Woolworths invests over R17.5m in renewable energy projects

Image supplied

The latest investment includes various solar installations to the value of R10.5m and a renewable energy agreement to the value of R7.3m per annum at key locations.

This includes the company’s head office and distribution centres in Cape Town, as well as its stores in Phalaborwa Mall in Limpopo and Greenacres Shopping Centre in the Eastern Cape.

The expansion of the solar installations at Woolworths’ head office building triples the capacity of the initial pilot completed in 2013, adding an additional 357 kilowatts.

This will increase the solar energy capacity at the Woolworths head office to 465 kilowatts.

Following this extension, approximately 11% of the energy requirements at the retailer’s head office will be met through solar power, including its always-on power intensive national data centre operating round-the-clock.

At the retail level, transitioning to renewable energy requires substantial investment and collaboration with shopping centre owners.

Retailers like Woolworths often face challenges because they don’t own the roof and rely on progressive and flexible landlords like Phalaborwa Mall with whom Woolworths partnered to install a 165 kilowatt-peak(kWp) grid tied system on the mall’s roof, generating 30% of the stores energy needs.

Similarly, at its Greenacres store in Gqeberha Woolworths is investing in a 300 kWp solar system, benefiting from partial roof ownership of the shopping centre.

“We have an ambitious goal to source all our energy from renewables by 2030,” said Feroz Koor, Woolworths group head of sustainability.

“Working with the renewable energy industry, energy traders, retail landlords, government and local municipalities has been crucial in making this shift. Our 2030 goal encompasses not only switching to renewable energy but also maximising energy efficiency. Through numerous interventions, including the installation of fridge doors in 348 of our foodmarkets, smart technology and energy efficiency practices across all our stores, we have achieved a two-thirds reduction in our stores’ energy intensity over the last 15 years.”

"Investing in renewable energy makes excellent business sense. By embracing renewable energy, we are not only enhancing our environmental sustainability but also ensuring a future-fit retail operation that decouples energy usage from business growth," concludes Koor.

These store and head office installations are projected to have a payback period of 4-5 years.