•The firm said it will be applying for a licence to generate electric power through a captive solar installation with a capacity of 1,400kWp.
•Last week, it received its third energy compliance certificate issued by EPRA.
BAT Kenya is targeting renewable energy alternatives as part of the global BAT Group's sustainability plans.
It plans to source its power supply from solar plants in a bid to cut costs and reduce environmental impacts of its business operations.
This however is subject to approvals by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).
The firm said it will be applying for a licence to generate electric power through a captive solar installation with a capacity of 1,400kWp.
Further, BAT Kenya last week received its third energy compliance certificate issued by EPRA.
It was the first in Kenya to receive this certification back in 2015 and is currently one of only eight organisations with the certification.
The move comes at a time when more top energy consumers are seeking alternatives, mainly green energy, away from the national grid served by Kenya Power.
The latest move means BAT Kenya will be the next major manufacturer to shift to solar after Bamburi, Safaricom, East African Paper Mills, London Distillers Kenya and East Africa Breweries Plc (EABL), that announced a Sh22 billion investment plan in renewable energy.
Crispin Achola, BAT Kenya’s managing director says BAT Kenya has been on a sustained journey to drive excellence in environmental management, which includes significant investment in renewable energy.
“We are proud to take this latest step in our sustainability journey. Our solar project in Kenya responds to the growing need to transition to cleaner energy and help respond to the threat of climate change,” said Achola.
The tobacco manufacturer is targeting renewable energy alternatives as part of the global BAT Group's sustainability plans.
“We know that minimising impacts across our operations and value chain is the right thing to do, as well as making sound business sense. That is why we have set stretching science-based climate-related targets and continue to embed sustainability across our business,” Achola said.
BAT Kenya's energy management action aligns with the BAT Group's recent publication of its Low-Carbon Transition Plan, which details actions that the company will take to reach its climate targets.
This includes halving absolute emissions across its value chain by 2030, from a 2020 baseline, and to be net zero across its value chain by 2050 at the latest.