Apparel Group, the region’s leading retailer, today celebrated the launch of its solar plant at its warehouse facilities in partnership with SirajPower, the UAE’s leading provider of solar roof.
To mark the occasion, an inaugural ceremony was held with the attendance of Mr Nilesh Ved, Chairman at Apparel Group, senior leadership from SirajPower including Mohammed Abdulghaffar Hussain, Chairman and Laurent Longuet, CEO, as well as other VIPs.
The 2 MWp solar plants installed at two of Apparel Group’s warehouses in Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA) are expected to cover more than 55% of the company’s electricity consumption, saving 2,121 metric tons of CO2 during the first year of operation. The annual savings with this initiative would be equivalent to taking 450 cars off the roads and is part of Apparel Group’s CSR initiative towards sustainability for a better tomorrow.
Nilesh Ved, Chairman at Apparel Group said: “At Apparel Group, social responsibility is at the heart of our business. From small initiatives like reduction of paper and plastic to our partnership with SirajPower, we have always challenged ourselves to operate in a more sustainable way whilst also making consistent energy savings to create a greener footprint. Inspired by the UAE’s leadership’s direction for the adoption of innovative solutions to protect the environment for current and future generations, our partnership with SirajPower will benefit because of their extensive experience in renewable energy and the benefits they provide to our operations.”
Laurent Longuet, CEO at SirajPower said: “This inauguration demonstrates the value of our unique leasing model and the services we offer to UAE businesses willing to adopt clean energy. 6 months after the signing of our deal with Apparel Group, the PV systems we installed is up and running, and already making a green impact on their operations. The private sector can play an important role to support the UAE Energy Strategy 2050, and help it achieving an energy mix that combines renewable and clean energy sources to balance economic requirements and environmental goals. We hope that our successful partnership with Apparel can be a catalyst for other actors in the private sector to embrace solar energy and join our journey to a cleaner UAE.”
SirajPower has already inked several agreements within the last few years with prominent UAE businesses. To date, it has secured 50MWp leasing scheme across the UAE, including the installation, financing and operation of the two Apparel’s warehouses PV systems. SirajPower became the market leader in distributed solar energy and is now well positioned to increase its portfolio in 2019 in the UAE and beyond. The company is already in negotiations for other projects with total capacity of approximately 100 MWp.
An ardent believer in sustainability, Apparel Group launched the region’s first cardless loyalty programme eliminating more than 2.3 million plastic cards and associated packaging material. Apparel Group’s state-of-the-art 24×7 automated distribution center set up to support omni-channel distribution, is designed according to LEED Green Building guidelines, a testament to imbibing a culture of sustainable operations. Another major initiative launched recently includes eliminating over 1 million single-use plastic bottles by replacing them with reusable water bottles for employees.
