Olainfarm, one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in the Baltics, has invested EUR 3.3 million to start the construction of a solar panel park on its premises in Olaine. The project aims to further invest in the sustainability of the company by developing the use of green energy in its energy supply. The total capacity of the solar park will be 3.2MW, providing up to 40% of the company’s total annual electricity consumption. It will be one of the largest solar parks in Latvia, developed for self-consumption by a manufacturing company.

Igors Vilcāns, Chief Power Engineer at Olainfarm, emphasizes that the company has been implementing very targeted activities to reduce its overall energy consumption and increasingly use green energy solutions for the past nine years. For example, in the first nine months of this year, the average consumption of energy resources per unit of chemical production at JSC Olainfarm decreased by 16.8%, despite the fact that the company’s production volumes increased. “We plan our energy consumption very carefully to ensure continuity of production, but also to become more energy efficient and greener. We see that energy efficiency and green energy solutions allow us to cut costs now and in the long term. These investments are also paying off in our energy independence. The solar park will allow us to generate up to 3500MWh/year of green electricity,” says Mr Vilcāns.

The solar park is being developed on the company’s site in Olaine. It will cover a total area of 4.2 hectares and will host around 5,400 solar panels with an installed capacity of 3.2MW. Solar energy will provide up to 80% of the company’s electricity during the summer season and up to 40% on average per year. The project is scheduled for completion in spring 2024.

“The solar park project is part of Olainfarm’s sustainable development strategy to promote greener energy use and contribute to the overall sustainability of society. As a socially responsible company, our commitment is not only to public health and access to medicines, but also to ensuring that the environment remains healthy as a result of our actions. The development of the solar park is an important step towards energy sustainability, strengthening both our and Latvia’s overall energy independence. Importantly, this project not only reduces our environmental impact, but also increases our energy self-sufficiency and reduces the risks of rising energy costs. This is an excellent investment for both the company and the environment,” says Juris Bundulis, Chairman of the Board of Olainfarm AS.

Olainfarm aims to invest at least EUR 3 million per year in green energy projects and energy efficiency.

The measures taken so far have already ensured that Olainfarm’s CO2 emissions have been reduced by 29% over the last five years. In addition to the solar park, the company also plans to renovate the heating and steam networks with a total investment of more than €3 million, reducing energy losses and thus CO2 emissions. Work is also continuing on the company’s wastewater treatment plant modernisation project, which will see the development of new, fully automated, closed-loop plant technology. The total investment in this project is approaching €11.3 million. Construction of the most advanced chemical and pharmaceutical wastewater treatment plant in the Baltics is planned to start in 2024 and to be completed in 2026.