SOUTH AFRICA – The Shoprite Group has installed three new rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems at its Canelands distribution centre in KwaZulu-Natal.
These systems collectively generate 1.9 GW of electricity, equivalent to powering more than 350 households annually.
As Africa’s largest retailer, Shoprite has increased its solar PV capacity by 36.5% since 2022 through its accelerated solar rollout program, now spanning 76 sites.
This initiative reduces pressure on the national electricity grid and demonstrates the company’s commitment to renewable energy.
In line with its sustainability goals, Shoprite has nearly doubled its use of clean energy, which currently contributes 5.8% of its electricity sourcing.
Sanjeev Raghubir, Head of Sustainability at Shoprite Group, emphasises the pivotal role of solar PV in mitigating climate change and improving energy efficiency.
Initiatives such as LED lamp replacements have resulted in substantial electricity savings of 161 million kWh.
In 2022, the retailer installed a rooftop solar PV (photovoltaic) system at its Checkers supermarkets.
The new installations have been undertaken at Oudtshoorn, generating an additional 776 647 kWh; Big Bay 185 144 kWh; and Knysna 613 630 kWh.
This comes months after the retail giant launched South Africa’s first premium supermarket to run entirely off renewable energy from wind and solar sources.
To ensure the project’s success, the company has installed a 635kWp rooftop solar PV system at its Sitari Village Mall, where the Checkers Sitari outlet is located.
The solar system generates 35% of the needed electricity, with the remaining 65% – 1,752 MWh of renewable energy sourced from Eskom’s wind plant via the Renewable Energy Tariff (RET) program.
In 2021, the group increased the installed capacity of its solar PV system by 350% as it aims to power 25% of operations with renewable energy by 2027.
“At Checkers, we acknowledge that climate change will, directly and indirectly, impact our business and the communities we are a part of,” said Sanjeev Raghubir, Sustainability Manager at the Shoprite Group.
“Solar PV plays a significant role in our strategy to mitigate climate change. Checkers is continuously increasing its use of renewable energy and improving energy efficiency costs to reduce its indirect greenhouse gas emissions.
“Installations like these also strengthen the resilience and adaptive capacity of our operations and supply chain.”
Solarising its facilities forms part of Checkers’ ongoing commitment to sustainability, which involves making better choices for the planet and changing its business for good.
This includes recycling tons of cardboard and plastic, using recycled content, reducing food and packaging waste, and sourcing products with sustainably sourced ingredients.
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