Having saved Ksh 102 million from energy efficiency projects over the past one year, Bidco Africa emerged the overall winner of this year’s Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) Energy Management Awards (EMA).
The consumer goods manufacturer won the award for its investment in energy-efficient technologies including installation of LED lights in all its manufacturing plants, switching to less carbon-intensive fuels and renewable energy sourcing.
Currently, Bidco Africa uses up to 70% of its own generated energy from renewable sources while consuming only 30% from the national grid. It plans to further reduce its dependence on the national grid with the implementation of a project to replace all the roofs in its Thika plant with 3,920 solar panels to generate 1.2 Megawatts (MW) of power.
“We believe the role of business in society is to provide products and services that people value while using fewer resources and respecting the environment,” said Dr.Thiagarajan Vijayakumar, Bidco Africa’s Group Director of Operations
Adding, “We look at effective energy management as a win-win that benefits the company, our customers, the communities in which we operate and the environment.”
To further improve its energy efficiency, Bidco has started a very ambitious project to contract farmers to grow millions of Bamboo seedlings which is a perfect soil conservation agent and a source of renewable energy.
Once matured, the farmers will harvest the Bamboo culms, which regenerate on their own, to supply Bidco to meet its need for biomass to power its Cogeneration plant at the Thika factory.
The company estimates that it will require 6,000 tons of Bamboo, a month to meet its energy needs.
The winners in the other EMA categories included Farmer’s Choice Limited, who won the Best Most Improved Award; Executive Residency by Best Western, Nairobi who won best new entrant small and medium consumer award; Sotik Tea Company Limited for Best New Entrant for large Consumer; Mombasa Cement Limited who won the Best Energy Management Team Award.
Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge scooped the Best Energy Management Service Sector Award and the Fuel Savings Award Small Consumer.
The annual Energy Management Awards is organized by KAM and targets all energy consumers. It is aimed at encouraging a culture of energy efficiency and conservation. It also recognizes companies that have taken steps in energy efficiency.
KAM holds the Energy Management Awards during the Kenya Sustainable Energy Day which is set aside to celebrate the great milestones that Kenya has taken to develop Clean Sustainable Energy.
This year’s Sustainable Energy Day was aimed at promoting the accelerated adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy sources.
