Mercedes-Benz Expanding Solar At South Africa Factory, Investing In EV Charging Countrywide

Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) is investing R100 million ($5.35 million USD) in a photo voltaic PV set up with 22,847 photo voltaic panels at its East London manufacturing plant. This set up might be a part of the second section of MBSA’s pursuit in the direction of net-carbon-neutral manufacturing. The primary section of the three,692 PV photo voltaic panel set up was accomplished in 2022 and supplied 2 MWp (megawatts peak). The newest PV set up will cowl a further 5 rooftops of the East London Plant with 22,847 photo voltaic panels, increasing the manufacturing plant’s footprint by an additional 12.6 MWp. Mixed, the overall photo voltaic photovoltaic measurement might be roughly 26,539 photo voltaic panels, equating to 14.6 MW peak — a peak according to the East London plant’s most demand throughout any manufacturing day. The annual technology of the finished system will contribute to an estimated 20% of the East London plant’s annual MWh consumption. The challenge is about to start in quarter one in all 2024, in partnership with an area provider.

Mercedes-Benz says it plans to cowl greater than 70 p.c of power demand from manufacturing with renewable energies by 2030. A core ingredient of the Mercedes-Benz sustainable enterprise technique is Ambition2039, which already set the course for the East London manufacturing plant in 2022.

“The set up of the photovoltaic photo voltaic panels at our manufacturing plant is a key pillar of our power technique and can contribute in the direction of the East London plant’s every day most demand requirement of 12MW in instances of peak-demand. The extra funding of R100 million into the second section of the photovoltaic photo voltaic power challenge accelerates our carbon-neutral manufacturing ambitions and company citizenship mandate. As an organization, we’re working strategically in the direction of delivering on our sustainability commitments, and feed-in agreements are required to utilise the brand new capability from 2024 onwards. It stays our collective accountability to safeguard the surroundings for future generations. To this impact, we name on all stakeholders to reply swiftly and to intentionally act in the direction of serving to to curb the exacerbating electrical energy scenario in South Africa. Each motion counts,” says Andreas Model CEO of Mercedes-Benz South Africa and Govt Director for Manufacturing.

Mercedes-Benz South Africa can be investing R40 million ($2.14 million USD) over two phases to help the transformation of the automotive business and transition to electrical mobility by way of a considerable funding into the native electrical car charging community. This rollout might be in partnership with Chargify. They’ll roll out over 120 electrical car charging stations throughout South Africa. Mercedes-Benz South Africa says it boasts the nation’s most intensive vary of electrical automobiles, together with the EQ and EQ AMG fashions, notably within the SUV class.

Chargify is actively deploying AC and DC quick charging stations alongside the principle routes and between metropolitan areas, together with airports, purchasing malls, restaurant hubs, non-public hospitals, strategic growth websites, residential estates, and small cities all through South Africa.

“The partnership with Chargify not solely offers us the chance to develop the share of the native EV charging community but in addition reaffirms Mercedes-Benz South Africa’s ambition to broaden its Enterprise and Provider Growth (ESD) portfolio. Our ESD programme is aimed toward making an actual and lasting impression in the direction of the transformation of the nation by way of the creation of sustainable and significant jobs,” says Abey Kgotle, Govt Director: Human Assets & Company Affairs Mercedes-Benz South Africa.

Mercedes-Benz South Africa’s preliminary funding within the EQ charging community quantities to R15 million (~$800,000), with a further R25 million ($1.34 million) earmarked for the second section of the rollout. Part 1 entails the set up of 67 Mercedes-Benz EQ branded charging stations throughout South Africa by Q1 of 2024. Mercedes-Benz says this funding is aimed toward not solely offering present clients with a dependable charging community, but in addition instilling confidence in these contemplating the swap to electrical car possession. Part 2 will see the implementation of over 60 further charging stations, bringing the overall to 127 Mercedes-Benz EQ branded charging stations, strategically positioned in key areas.

Some places already characteristic Mercedes-Benz EQ branded charging infrastructure, together with BT Ngebs Mall and Mayfair Lodge in Mthatha. With this set up, an EV driver can now journey from Durban to Cape City; Woodhill Property and Nation Membership; Da Vinci Lodge in Sandton; Champagne Citadel in Drakensberg; Highwaymans in Pilgrims Relaxation; Courtyard Sandton; and Silvermist Wine Property. Different places, similar to Plettenberg Lodge, Wilderness Lodge, Swartberg Lodge in Prince Albert, and Karoo Junction Mall in Beaufort West to call just a few are presently within the set up section.

Mercedes-Benz South Africa and Chargify are each actively working to construct South Africa’s most intensive EV public charging community. By fostering relationships with websites throughout the nation and establishing skilled partnerships, Chargify is contributing to the expansion of this community. Mercedes-Benz South Africa and Chargify are making a panorama of EV chargers to assist the EV revolution and making certain the community’s clean operation by collaborating with operational companions like GridCars. Notably, all Mercedes-Benz EQ clients will profit from a ten% low cost when charging by way of the Chargify community.

Mark Raine, co-CEO of Mercedes-Benz South Africa and Govt Director of Mercedes-Benz Automobiles, says: “Mercedes-Benz South Africa is accelerating the tempo of eMobility transformation throughout the automotive business. Subsequent to providing essentially the most intensive and numerous all-electric car portfolio out there, we need to present not solely our clients however all EV drivers the luxurious and peace of thoughts of a complete charging community and with the set up of over 100 electrical car charging stations throughout South Africa fulfilling our strategic aims of making sustainable ecosystems in assist of our all-electric technique.”

Mercedes-Benz’s plant in East London additionally manufactures plug-in hybrid variants of the C-Class, which is a welcome growth for the native manufacturing and auto meeting sector. It’s nice to see that the plant might be rising the penetration of renewables in its power combine, which is sort of necessary provided that South Africa’s grid is usually powered by coal. It’s not simply the emissions financial savings. The speedy decline within the prices of photo voltaic panels and related infrastructure has resulted within the prices of onsite generated photo voltaic, and even offsite grid-tied photo voltaic technology coupled with electrical energy promoting agreements, being cheaper than grid tariffs. Corporations that go photo voltaic can anticipate to save lots of a big quantity on their electrical energy payments.

Pictures courtesy of Mercedes-Benz South Africa