The port city of El Jadida on Morocco’s Atlantic coast has become home to the latest Nestlé solar plant in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena), with the installation of nearly 2,600 photovoltaic (PV) panels on a 7,000 sq m annex to the company’s local milk and coffee products factory.

The plant will generate 1.7 GWh of electricity per year, eliminate more than one million kilograms of CO2 annually, and help the Swiss multinational meet global commitments to halve its emissions by 2030 and achieve a net zero goal by 2050.

Nestlé’s third in the region, with other factories in Dubai and Jordan also housing solar installations, the plant was built with a close to $1.3 million investment in collaboration with renewable energy leader Qair.

“All of our 25 factories in the region continue to enhance resource efficiency and sustainability,” said Remy Ejel, Nestlé Chairman & CEO in the Middle East and North Africa. “I’m proud to see that we have already reduced overall greenhouse gas emissions in our factories by nearly 60 per cent over the last decade. We are committed to achieving 100 per cent renewable electricity in our operations by 2025, as part of how we are addressing CO2 emissions and acting on climate change.”

“Nestlé’s solar plant in El Jadida contributes to the realisation of the national energy strategy that aims to generate over 52 per cent of the Kingdom’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030, and which emphasises the importance of clean and sustainable production in the industrial sector,” said Aziz Rabbah, Morocco’s Minister of Energy, Mines and Environment. “We strongly encourage private sector participation in meeting these national sustainability goals; and invite more entities to help create a healthier environment for us all.”

Globally, Nestlé expects to complete the transition of its 800 sites in the 187 countries where it operates to 100 per cent renewable electricity within the next five years. The company is switching its global fleet of vehicles to lower emission options and will reduce and offset business travel by 2022. It is also implementing water protection and regeneration measures and tackling food waste in its operations.

Since 2010, Nestlé has achieved 42 per cent reduction in water withdrawal per tonne of product in Mena, a 55 per cent decrease in energy consumption, and nearly 60 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across the region’s 25 food, beverage and water manufacturing sites. In the last three years alone, Nestlé achieved 25 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions in logistics and supply chain activities across the Mena region.