Tuesday, July 21, 2020 2:15 pm
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COLUMBIA (News release) -- Smurfit Kappa has unveiled a new, state-of-the-art solar panel system in its Colombian Forestry operation. The Solar One photovoltaic system will generate 50% of the energy needs of the nursery and the entomology and plant pathology laboratories.
The 168 panels that comprise the system will generate an estimated 78,000 kWh/year reducing CO2 emissions by 29.7 tonnes annually.
The new system has been installed in an optimum location in the forestry nursery to maximise exposure to the hours of sunshine available.The nursery has the capacity to produce up to 8 million pine and eucalyptus seedlings per year which are then planted in Smurfit Kappa's forestry plantations throughout the Colombian Andean region and also used in reforestation projects.
The entomology and plant pathology laboratories that will also benefit from the new solar scheme work alongside the nursery on preventative programmes to identify and study potential forestry pests and diseases. Any programmes that are used to eliminate pests work in harmony with nature and are completely organic.
The 168 panels that comprise the system will generate an estimated 78,000 kWh/year reducing CO2 emissions by 29.7 tonnes annually.
The new system has been installed in an optimum location in the forestry nursery to maximise exposure to the hours of sunshine available.The nursery has the capacity to produce up to 8 million pine and eucalyptus seedlings per year which are then planted in Smurfit Kappa's forestry plantations throughout the Colombian Andean region and also used in reforestation projects.
The entomology and plant pathology laboratories that will also benefit from the new solar scheme work alongside the nursery on preventative programmes to identify and study potential forestry pests and diseases. Any programmes that are used to eliminate pests work in harmony with nature and are completely organic.