Swiss food giant Nestle has signed strategic agreements with Yellow Door Energy, a leading provider of lease-to-own solar power solutions, and Alec Energy, a top solar contractor approved by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), for installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels at its plants in Dubai, UAE.

The agreements, signed in the presence of Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, the managing director and chief executive officer of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa),

The move is in accordance with Nestlé's commitment to the RE100 initiative, a global collaborative initiative of influential businesses committed to using 100 per cent renewable energy, said a statement from Yellow Door Energy.

It is also a part of Dewa’s Shams Dubai initiative, which encourages building owners to install photovoltaic solar panels and connect them to its grid. The electricity is used onsite and the surplus is exported to the network, it stated.

On completion, the project will provide renewable energy to three manufacturing sites in Dubai, and contribute to the reduction of 6000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.

Lauding the initiative, Al Tayer said that it supports Dewa’s joint efforts with the private sector to protect the environment, and increase the share of clean energy to achieve the objectives of the Shams Dubai initiative.

The lease-to-own model enables Nestlé to benefit from solar power with no upfront capital investment, protect the environment, reduce the carbon footprint, as well as reduce costs.

The contracts are to install, operate and maintain a total of over 7MW of solar power at Nestlé Middle East Manufacturing in Dubai South, Nestlé Dubai Manufacturing, and the Nestlé Waters factory at National Industries Park.

Yves Manghardt, the chairman and CEO of Nestlé Middle East, said: "One of our commitments to society in the Middle East is to provide climate change leadership and promote resources efficiency. This will further reduce greenhouse gas emissions as we get closer to our ambition to shape sustainable consumption and steward resources for future generations."

“Everything we do at Nestlé aims to create shared value, and this is an excellent example of how collaboration between several entities positively impacts their business, as well as the environment and society at large,” he added.

Yellow Door Energy CEO Jeremy Crane said: "We help companies like Nestlé leverage solar power through lease-to-own agreements, where we invest in, manage and operate the solar plant in order to maximize the energy generation and align with customers’ energy needs."

Once fully-operational, the solar power plants are expected to produce 30,000 kilowatt hours of electricity daily, which would contribute to the reduction of 6000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.

It is the equivalent of eliminating the carbon emissions of over 1,500 passenger cars for a year, or the energy consumption of 800 homes annually.

James Stewart, the general manager of Alec Energy, said: "To meet Nestlé’s ambitious renewable energy goals, the Alec Energy team produced an innovative, cost-effective, and efficient design matching Nestlé’s ambitious renewable energy targets."

Alec Energy has been contracted to carry out the design, engineering, procurement, and construction with a completion target for the end of 2018.

“We will be using the best available technology for the system components, solar panels and inverters, and will enhance the system reliability by connecting it directly to Dewa’s network,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service