Etex Australia switches on solar at Altona plant

Etex Australia recently ‘flicked the switch’ to solar energy at the Altona plant in Victoria. The occasion was celebrated with an event attended by The Hon. Lily D’Ambrosio, Minister for Energy & Resources in the Victorian Parliament; Melissa Horne, MP for Williamstown; and senior members of the Etex Group leadership team, including Etex CEO Bernard Delvaux.

Several members of the Etex Australia leadership team and local teammates also shared in the moment when the solar system was officially turned on.

In her speech, Minister D’Ambrosio commended the Etex Group for their investment into the project, saying that the Government supports and encourages businesses that are passionate about sustainability.

Etex CEO Bernard Delvaux said the Etex Road to Sustainability 2030 is a key priority for the Etex Group. The Road to Sustainability 2030 is a global roadmap for the company that sets clear ambitions across these five priority areas: Health, Safety and Wellbeing, Customer Engagement, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Decarbonisation, and Circularity.

The Altona solar power system is designed to reduce the use of fossil-fuelled electricity grid power at the plant by approximately 20%. The 1.45 MW system consists of more than 3,000 solar panels that cover approximately 80% of the Altona factory roof space.

The investment is expected to reduce the Altona site’s carbon footprint by over 1,700 t CO2-e per annum or roughly 6% of Altona’s gate-to-gate emissions.

Gavin Burton, Regional Manager (APAC) of the Etex Building Performance division, announced at the ceremony that the Etex Australia has been given the green light to install a solar system of similar scope and size at the Matraville plant in NSW.