Heineken unveils R100m solar plant in Midvaal as it eyes carbon neutrality

In its biggest green energy project in SA to date, the local unit of Heineken has officially launched a 6.5MW solar plant to supply almost a third of its electricity needs at its Sedibeng brewery in Midvaal. 

While the plant, which is roughly the size of 19 rugby fields, would certainly reduce the effect of load shedding and dependence on Eskom, this is not the primary motivation for the plant, with Heineken SA MD Jordi Borrut saying it is part of the Dutch brewing giant’s commitment that its breweries must be carbon neutral by 2030 in terms of production, and neutral in terms of its chain by 2040.

"That means that by 2030, that’s seven years from now … we need to be carbon neutral. This is what we are doing now, and it coincides with issues that Eskom is facing. I think that it helps lower the demand from Eskom, but that wasn’t our first priority," Borrut told News24 in an interview after the official launch on Wednesday.