South Africa’s Engen Petroleum turns to solar energy to power site
Engen Petroleum, a South Africa-based company that is 80% owned by Malaysia's Petronas, said it wants to work on a rather rare renewable initiative in the fuel retail industry as it is going to use solar energy to bring power to the site Engen All Africa Convenience Centre, in Gauteng.
“The implementation of a solar photovoltaic (PV) energy production system on the site is among the first renewable energy initiatives in the retail fuel sector,” the company said.
“With the largest network of service stations in the country, we saw it as a good opportunity to further reduce our GHG emissions. South Africa produces most of its electricity by burning coal, so the less power we consume from the grid, the better to protect the environment from harmful emissions,” said Joe Mahlo, Engen’s General Manager of Sales & Marketing.
Mahlo confirmed that the entire site’s daytime energy needs will be met by the new solar PV installation — including fuel pumps, LED lighting, chiller machines, coffee machines, refrigeration, ovens, computer systems, compressors and more. The installations of the panels was on the roof.
