Factory Solar Expansion Project Completed — Grid Dependency Cut by 80%
The installation of an additional 120 kWp of rooftop solar panels has dramatically reduced our reliance on grid electricity, cutting energy costs and carbon emissions.
Phase Two Solar Now Live
Wewelkandura Tea Factory has completed the second phase of its rooftop solar expansion programme. The newly installed 120 kWp array, combined with the original 60 kWp system commissioned in 2021, brings total installed solar capacity to 180 kWp — sufficient to power approximately 80% of the factory's daytime energy needs.
Project Details
The expansion was funded through a green-finance loan from a leading Sri Lankan commercial bank, under a product designed specifically for agri-sector renewable energy investments. The 360 monocrystalline panels were installed by a Colombo-based renewable energy contractor over a six-week period, with no disruption to factory operations.
System specifications:
- Total installed capacity: 180 kWp
- Annual generation estimate: 252,000 kWh
- Grid displacement: ~80% of factory daytime load
- Estimated annual CO₂ reduction: 168 tonnes
- Simple payback period: 4.2 years
Impact on Operations
Peak processing hours — withering fan operation, rolling, drying — align well with solar generation hours, maximising self-consumption. A battery buffer system is planned for Phase Three to extend solar coverage into early morning and evening operations.
Contribution to Carbon Neutrality Goal
This project is a significant milestone on our path to carbon neutrality by 2027. With Scope 2 emissions (purchased electricity) now largely eliminated, our focus shifts to Scope 1 direct emissions from the biomass dryer and estate vehicle fleet.
Full emissions reporting will be published in our 2024 Sustainability Report, due for release in February 2025.