Dark Kitchens

GAC Bahrain boosts renewable output with strategic solar development project

Move is part of wider group’s ‘Roadmap to Sustainability’

GAC Bahrain will be installing photovoltaic solar panels on the rooftop of its warehouse in Bahrain Investment Wharf in Al Hidd as part of the wider GAC Group’s commitment to environmental protection and reduce its carbon footprint, the company revealed in a recent press communique.

Leading shipping and forwarding agency GAC Bahrain has recently partnered with local renewable energy construction company Al Mannai Projects to install 552 solar panels that will generate approximately 300 KW of power to the meet the facility’s electricity needs.

The development is the latest part of the wider GAC’s Group’s commitment to promoting sustainability and accelerating decarbonisation across the wider maritime and logistics industries. GAC Bahrain joins the growing number of GAC offices utilising renewable energy to reduce its carbon footprint.

Bahrain Economic vision 2030

It is also linked to Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030, which aims to reduce carbon emissions by 30% through local decarbonisation projects and doubling the development of regional renewable infrastructure.

“Our latest solar project is a vital step in our green journey and demonstrates our pledge to use renewable resources in line with the country’s Economic Vision 2030 and the GAC Group’s commitment to adapt and innovate its activities towards a sustainable future,” affirmed Johan Fulke, Managing Director, GAC Bahrain.

Al Mannai Projects is a leading developer of renewable energy technology and is part of the Mannai Group Bahrain, one of the country’s oldest and leading business corporations. Its Renewable Technology division provides solar energy solutions to homes, offices, retail buildings and residential developments across Bahrain.

“We are proud to be working with GAC Bahrain on this solar project as we all strive towards a sustainable future. We deliver high-quality, reliable, and sustainable solar power across the region, and our designs all meet the strict standards of international and Bahraini Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) standards,” asserted Talal Al Mannai, CEO, Al Mannai Projects.

Sustainability strategy

This solar project is in line with the wider GAC Group’s sustainability strategy, which includes a commitment to UN Sustainable Development Goals and a net carbon zero future. As part of its Roadmap to Sustainability, GAC has committed to adapt, innovate and reduce in its activities and engage with local stakeholders to create long-term value towards a sustainable future.

In 2014, Bahrain formed its Sustainable Energy Unit (SEU) as a joint initiative between the Office of the Minister of Electricity and Water Affairs and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to develop a sustainable energy policy and promote renewable energy.