“At the end of the day, we decided that we’re good at manufacturing castings, not creating electricity – that’s not our function. We’d rather buy it than manage it.”
Pieter du Plessis, CEO, Atlantis Foundries
South Africa’s automotive industry faces serious challenges, from an unstable energy supply to the decarbonisation imperative posed by the global industry as it races to net-zero emissions.
Yet steps are already being made by local manufacturers and suppliers to embed sustainable energy solutions that address these, both earning green benefits and impacting the bottom line.
A case in point is Atlantis Foundries (AF), the Cape-based producer of automotive castings for the commercial vehicle industry.
AF recently signed a Power Purchase Agreement with Energy Partners (EP) for the province’s largest embedded generation solar project. More than 20,000 ground-mounted solar panels will secure AF a reliable source of electricity worth more than R35 million per year at current Eskom tariffs.
AF Chief Executive Officer, Pieter du Plessis, recently spoke to Ryk van Niekerk, host of top business podcast, RSG Geldsake, about the factors that motivated his company’s decision to partner with EP, including the appeal of securing green energy, and the predictable costs and significant savings behind EP’s unique offering.
Listen below:
[Note: Interview is in Afrikaans]
