British healthcare company, GlaxoSmithKline is the latest corporate organization in Kenya to install a solar power plant in efforts to save on electricity costs. The solar plant installed in the company’s Nairobi factory cost Sh108 million.
GSK joins a host of companies in Nairobi that have opted for alternative energy sources, as they seek to counter heavy costs from Kenya Power.
Most companies claim the high electricity costs have resulted in high production costs posing a challenge in the the sector.
GSK Site director Paul Arunga said the switch to solar power would reduce their costs by 50 percent, helping them save at least Sh2 million per month.
Read: Naivasha Flower Farms Adopt Solar Energy to Minimize Production Costs
“Embodying the solar technology as an organisation has helped us lower power costs, a significant component in our product cost, hence enabling us to be more competitive and to deliver our products at better prices to our customers,” said Mr Arunga.
Commercial and Industrial Power developer Ofgen installed GSK’s power plant. The 1.05MWp captive solar is installed on the roofs and car park of the company’s Nairobi plant.
Ofgen has in the recent past installed similar projects for Serena hotels, BAT, Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), Toyota Kenya among others.
Last year, the media was awash with reports of a mass exodus to solar power. Corporate heavyweights that make up a big portion of the industrial consumers sought to adapt to solar power citing unreliability and high bills from Kenya Power.
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