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Danone Egypt, subsidiary of the French multinational food-products corporation Danone Group, is evaluating the establishment of a solar power plant at its Al-Obour factory as part of a broader EGP 2 billion ($41 million) investment plan, a top company official said.
Hisham Radwan, General Manager of Danone Egypt and North Africa, told Zawya Projects that the company is studying the use of solar energy to power the factory to reduce electricity consumption costs and lower emissions.
“We have also recently collaborated with Energy & Contracting Solutions (ECS) to use natural gas, which will commence within two months at an initial cost of EGP7 million ($144,625)," he said.
Radwan said the Al-Obour factory currently boasts an annual production capacity of 120,000 tonnes, with 70-75 raw materials sourced locally, a figure the company aims to increase to 90 percent over the next three years. Exports currently account for 5 percent of the factory's output; a percentage that Danone Egypt plans to double by 2025.
The company currently exports to five countries, with Libya being a primary market, alongside Kenya, Mauritius, and Palestine.
“We aim to expand into African markets and Saudi Arabia in the upcoming phase,” he added.
Danone Egypt was established in 2006 and is headquartered in Cairo. The company employs over 1,500 people and operates a farm in Nubaria, the third-largest in the country, in addition to the Al-Obour factory.
(1 US Dollar = 48.40 Egyptian Pounds)
(Reporting by Marwa Abo Almajd; Editing by Anoop Menon)
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