Russia's Hevel buys 100% renewable power for PV modules factory

Russian photovoltaics (PVs) manufacturer Hevel Group said its factory in the city of Novocheboksarsk is purchasing 100% renewable power starting July.

The facility consumes 65 million kWh per year. The group said the entire amount will be acquired in the wholesale electricity and capacity market as outlined in the free bilateral agreement signed with an energy provider.

According to the company, switching to renewable power consumption is voluntary in Russia and it is possible via the free bilateral agreements mechanism. Companies in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector were the first ones to sign these agreements in 2019, Hevel explained.

For Hevel, the move is part of the programme to implement sustainable business practices and will help it come closer to becoming carbon neutral. It also provides guarantees to the company's foreign partners that the production process complies with environmental standards, including those for exported products, said Alexander Dubrovskiy, director of the Novocheboksarsk factory.

The transition to renewables has been made easier by Russia's growing solar power capacity, which Hevel puts at more than 1,200 MW.

The Novocheboksarsk factory produces 340 MW of heterojunction (HJT) PV modules per year, according to Hevel. The group currently operates 711.5 MW of grid-connected PV parks and has projects lined up in native Russia and Kazakhstan.

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