Belgium's Ontex turns to on-site solar production at Italian factory

Belguim-based personal hygiene company Ontex Group NV (EBR:ONTEX) today said that construction has been launched on a solar plant at the site of its production base in Ortona, Italy, that will be covering over 25% of the facility’s power demand.

Touted as Italy’s largest photovoltaic (PV) project for on-site power consumption, the scheme is being implemented to back Ontex’s goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2030. The Belgian firm already has other factories in Italy and in eight other European countries using 100% renewable electricity.

The solar array will be installed within the manufacturing base of Ontex in Italy’s Abruzzo region in around six months. While building works are set to be completed during the first months of 2022, the plant will be brought online in the spring of 2022. Once operational, it will be able to generate 11.6 GWh of electricity annually, or enough to supply over 3,500 homes.

The project was developed and financed by Belgian solar power solutions provider Menapy.

Around 75% of Ontex’s global manufacturing facilities are currently run on renewable electricity. The company either buys renewable power via Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs) or has onsite generation capacity.

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