SRI installs largest solar rooftop panel

It’s hard not to love a superlative, so thanks to Sumitomo Rubber Industries for sharing that its tyre factory in Thailand now possesses the world’s largest rooftop solar panel array. As of 1 February 2023, the set-up at the Sumitomo Rubber (Thailand) plant is the world’s largest rooftop solar panel array installed at a single facility.

With support from the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, Sumitomo Rubber Industries contracted Kansai Energy Solutions (Thailand) to install 40,000 solar panels (with a total output of approximately 22MW) and a gas cogeneration system (two 6.6 MW boilers) at the factory in Thailand’s Rayong Province. These units will supply all electric power and steam they generate directly to the factory, replacing the energy sources the factory currently uses. Once this project is complete, Sumitomo Rubber Industries estimates that it will reduce the factory’s total annual CO2 emissions by approximately 38,000 tonnes.

At the same time, the factory will also make the transition to electricity verified as carbon free by I-REC (International Renewable Energy Certificates), having signed an agreement to this effect on 21 February 2023. These I-REC represent biomass electric power that is generated by incinerating excess branches, trunks and other scraps that are left over after rubber trees are harvested in Thailand, therefore this project will also contribute to efforts set out in Sumitomo Rubber Industries’ Sustainable Natural Rubber Policy.