Mantrac Energy System has opened a 50 kilovolt-ampere (KVA) solar power facility at the Fanmilk depot in Kasoa, Awutu Senya East Municipality of the Central Region.
According to Sales Development Manager-Mantrac Ghana, Andrey Pata, regardless of the numerous challenges that came in their path, they were able to meet the one-month target set for the average size project.
“What’s also important is that despite some logistics challenges with worldwide shipping companies, we were able to deliver this project, assemble and launch it – and hopefully it is going to run smoothly.
“We are also going to provide for the next five years aftermarket support; but we are taking care of the equipment in terms of service, maintenance etc. We are going to keep an eye on it, which is very important because we don’t have too many solar projects in Ghana.
“We are also hoping for future additions to the project – phase two and three – if possible, as well as to have the same project on other sites, offices and branches of our customers,” he told B&FT at the commissioning.
Mr. Pata emphasised that Mantrac Ghana, through its solar installation projects, is protecting the environment by promoting ecological solutions to countries they operate in.
“What makes it outstanding for Mantrac is that, with this project, the equipment belongs to Mantrac. We are renting out to the customers – helping them to make a lot of savings on the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) grid. We are delivering complete independence as well as making the environment in Ghana very clean, very green, which is also the idea of Mantrac – promoting as much as possible ecological solutions for the countries where we are distributing our products,” he stressed.
20% electricity cost saved
For his part, Operations Director Fanmilk West Africa, Nazaire Djako, explained to B&FT that since the solar power installation they have saved up to 20 percent of their electricity cost across the numerous depots in the country and also their head office.
He noted further that the solar power project is a result of Danone’s – parent company of Fanmilk- vision to reduce power emissions into the air by their company in all of the countries where they have manufacturing plants and distribution outlets.
“We have what we call ‘one planet, one health’. It is a green project whereby every country, every manufacturing facility or distribution facility we have worldwide is trying to really push to save energy and save the planet.
“It has to force us to go the extra mile to start looking at how we can generate power and energy differently. So, the idea has come to our mind that we may have to go solar because we have sun here in Africa. That is what has been the root cause of what we are seeing today,” Mr. Djako elaborated.
