Micronipol, one of the leading plastics recycling companies in Portugal, and Helexia are going to expand their current self-consumption solar power plant from 1 MWp to 3 MWp. This project will enable Micronipol to achieve 33% energy autonomy.
This investment will enable the annual production of more than 4.5 GWh of clean energy and avoid the emission of around 2120 tons of CO2/year.
The solar energy production will also include a 370 kWh battery storage system.
Helexia will also be responsible for supervising, monitoring and maintaining the 3 MWp installed (1 MWp already in place + 2 MWp from the new solar plant) as well as managing the entire energy production and storage system, promoting the decarbonization of the company, which aims to make 80% of its operations energy self-sufficient. To this end, Micronipol and Helexia are working together on the hybridization of energy sources.
Micronipol’s business focuses on the circular economy, meeting on the recycling and reuse of plastic, receiving plastics that have already been used at its factory to transform into new products, significantly reducing the volume of industrial and domestic waste destined for landfill. At the moment, the company recycles more than 20K tons of plastic a year, of which 6K tons come from urban waste.
Internationally, Micronipol stands out for exporting more than 40% of its production to the European market, including Switzerland, a market renowned for its demand, which reinforces the quality and competitiveness of the Portuguese company.
“Throughout its 20 years of operation, Micronipol has demonstrated a strong commitment to preserving the environment, starting with its core business, the recycling and reuse of plastics. Sustainability has always been one of its main objectives, which is why we are excited about this partnership that will result in significant energy savings for the company,” says João Guerra, Marketing & Communication Director at Helexia.
Regarding the installation of the power plant, João Guerra says, “With this 2MWp installation, Micronipol will achieve a 33% reduction in energy consumption. We are already working on other joint projects with the aim of achieving up to 80% energy self-sufficiency. Given that Micronipol’s entire production process depends on electricity, decarbonization is a tangible goal and that’s what we’ll be working towards”.
As for João Machado, Micronipol’s General Manager, “As a company fully committed to a sustainable future, this project is structural in the implementation of our strategy. As well as reducing our energy dependence on the grid, we also guarantee that our products are produced using renewable energy. Everything we do has environmental sustainability in mind and this is yet another project that fills us with pride in the company’s life journey.”
