Nigerian Breweries Plc (NB) and CrossBoundary Energy have commenced two renewable energy (solar and battery storage hybrid) projects for the NB Plc’s Ibadan and Ama breweries in Oyo and Enugu States. The project, valued at $10 million, this will be one of the largest renewable energy projects so far for a business in the country.
As part of the agreement on this project, CrossBoundary Energy will expand the current renewable energy system at NB’s Ibadan Brewery from a 663 kWp solar PV plant to a hybrid solar-plus-storage facility consisting of a three MWp solar PV system and a 2 MW/2 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS).
The Ama brewery will receive a 4 MWp solar PV plant and a 2 MW/2 MWh BESS. The solar plants combined will supply approximately 10 GWh annually to the Ibadan and Ama breweries at a significant discount to their current cost of power. This project will reduce the site’s CO2 emissions by 100,000 tonnes over the lifespan of the plants.
Besides, the energy firm will fully finance the development and construction of the Ibadan and Ama renewable energy facilities and will operate both facilities as part of a 15-year solar services agreement with NB. Under the agreement, NB will only pay for solar power produced, receiving a single monthly bill that incorporates all maintenance, monitoring, insurance, and financing costs.
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The Managing Director, NB Plc, Hans Essaadi, said: “We are delighted to be a pioneer in the adoption of solar energy in Nigeria. These additional solar plants will provide a significant portion of our electricity needs and put us well on our way to carbon neutrality target. Expanding our renewable energy capabilities will ensure that we deliver on our environmental commitments under our Better A Better World (BABW) Sustainability initiative and is in line with the global Net Zero targets set by our parent company, Heineken.”
In a similar vein, the Chief Commercial Officer, CrossBoundary Energy, James Shoetan said: “We’re ecstatic to continue supporting NB’s sustainability goals and to be providing multiple breweries with cleaner, cheaper power with no upfront investment or technical risk. CrossBoundary Energy is encouraged to see the expansion of the flagship project at NB Ibadan thereby greatly increasing its sustainable footprint.”
Both projects will support the local employment of approximately 80 people during the construction phase, and at least 24 people when the plants are operational. The projects also enable private direct investment to support Nigeria’s recently reaffirmed commitment to net zero by 2060.