Interview with Shrikant Savangikar, Director – Sustainability & Business Excellence, SKF India Ltd on solar mission project.
Words Rusen Kumar
PUNE (India CSR): SKF India has ambitious solar mission with 1 MW capacity of rooftop solar in Pune. The roject is a part of SKF India’s ongoing solar mission across all major facilities in the country. The installation in the Pune facility is expected to generate 1.5 GwH units per annum. This initiative is expected to reduce the Pune facility’s CO2 emissions by approximately 1200 metric tons per annum.
In an exclusive interview with Rusen Kumar, Editor of IndiaCSR; Shrikant Savangikar, Director – Sustainability & Business Excellence, SKF India Ltd shared SKF’s vision on solar mission project. Here are the edited excerpts of the interview:
Provide some insight on SKF Solar Mission.
In January, 2016 SKF India announced its solar mission with the inauguration of one of the largest rooftop solar installations among manufacturing companies in Pune, with 1 MW capacity. The launch of the project is a part of SKF India’s ongoing solar mission across all major facilities in the country.
The installation in the Pune facility is expected to generate 1.5 GwH units per annum. This initiative is expected to reduce the Pune facility’s CO2 emissions by approximately 1200 metric tons per annum.
How does SKF India plan to replicate this model across the country?
Prior to the launch of 1MW Solar Rooftop plant at our Pune facility, SKF installed a rooftop solar plant at its Bengaluru facility. The current combined capacity along with the Pune plant is 2.1 MW. Additionally, we have also installed a hybrid solar thermal plant at its Mysore facility with obtained energy of 120 MwH per year. The Mysore facility is part of SKF Technologies India (Pvt) Ltd, wholly owned subsidiary of SKF Group. SKF plans to scale up this initiative and install similar rooftop solar plants at other major facilities across India.
What is SKF’s timeframe to bring down CO2 emissions?
We at SKF India are targeting CO2 emission reduction of upto 4000 metric tons by 2017, across all its manufacturing locations.
We are looking at scaling up our rooftop solar capacity by installing rooftop solar plants at SKF’s Ahmedabad and Mysore plants this year, and in Haridwar in 2017.
Going forward, we are also looking forward to harnessing green energy through bilateral trading, by including biomass and hydel energy in our energy mix.
How different BU’s at SKF Pune using the solar energy to drive business?
Through this initiative we are utilizing the power generated for our main factory building, compressor room and canteen.
The idea is to reduce carbon footprint from our own manufacturing units, thereby contributing for a better tomorrow.
Any other details you would like to share.
Manufacturing MNC’s in India through their processes have substantial impact on environment. From raw materials selected, how they are utilized and processed, to the way in which products are disposed, manufacturing MNC’s need to align their processes to minimize the environmental impact.
SKF India firmly believes that the responsibility lies with all of us towards future generations, and we together have to contribute to create a better tomorrow. Environmental Care focuses on the Group’s responsibility to continually strive to reduce the negative impact on the environment from its own operations and those of its suppliers.
SKF India solar mission with launch of 1MW solar rooftop is one of the largest rooftop solar installations among manufacturing companies in Pune. The Solar Mission is in line with SKF’s Environment Care philosophy and sustainability goals.
SKF Group started trading operations in India in Kolkata in 1923 and since then the Group’s operations have been consolidated into SKF India Limited. SKF in India has consolidated its operations in three different companies, namely SKF India Limited, SKF Technologies (India) Pvt. Ltd and Lincoln Helios India Ltd. The company has manufacturing plants in Pune, Bangalore, Mysuru, Haridwar and Ahmedabad.
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