Impact launches solar farm

Packaging manufacturer Impact International is launching an industrial solar farm at its manufacturing site at Smithfield, the first solar farm designed for industrial use in Sydney.

The 290kw installation system was formally launched by Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen MP and Labor MP Hugh McDermott. Impact says it will supply all of its power, eliminating 300 tonnes of CO2 emissions and generating 395 MWhs of electricity annually, the equivalent power needs of 90 Australian homes.

Aleks Lajovic, managing director of Impact says, “Our decision to boldly invest in green energy comes from our commitment to our customers for whom sustainability deeply matters. Our customers choose Impact because of our quality, product knowledge, service and the superior barrier properties of our tubes. In other words, they care greatly about the quality of the tubes they use. By extension the energy that is used to produce these tubes really matters. We want to add to our customers’ story of quality and care — our solar farm does exactly that.”

Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen, in whose electorate Impact is located,  says, “What an impressive story Impact International is, from when Dusan Lajovic started in Smithfield sixty years ago. It is great to see the firm modernising and taking its facilities to the next level and installing solar energy in this way.”

[Related: Vivad invests in solar]

Hon Dr Hugh McDermott MP says, "Impact International is a great, long-standing family-owned business in our area, which is investing in new technology. This sort of local innovation is not only bringing money and opportunities into the area – it is the future of skilled employment for locals in Smithfield."

Impact says the solar installation is part of its sustainability program, which has seen the company upgrade motors to more efficient models, redesign its factory layout to improve production efficiency, install smarter lighting and change how it schedules production to further reduce energy consumption.

The solar farm occupies more than 800 square metres and its installation was executed by Smart Commercial Solar, which will go on to monitor the efficiency for the 5B Maverick solar array, a world-first technology developed and manufactured in Sydney.

Andrew Macaulay, CEO, PIAA says,“Energy has been a failure of government policy.

“The cost of Impact's energy like everyone else has been going through the roof, so they were looking at ways of mitigating that.

“They had a rooftop and some land next to the factory, so the capacity to create a solar farm. Now they are getting a fifth of their energy from the installation. Impact is a terrific family business, with Aleks Lajovic being part of the third generation.”

Hon Hoongesteger, founder of Smart Commercial Solar says, “Impact has shown that solar is not only commercially viable for industrial operations but also has critical benefits for the entire supply chain. Increasingly being able to say that your energy was generated on-site from the sun is becoming a sought after business benefit.”

Impact is an Australian family owned company that has been designing and manufacturing industry leading food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical tubes for 60 years. The company also has operations in Slovenia and Indonesia, with it employing 90 people in Australia and around 350 globally.

Comment below to have your say on this story.

If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at editorial@sprinter.com.au.  

Sign up to the Sprinter newsletter

Leave a comment:

Your email address will not be published. All fields are required

Advertisement

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.
Advertisement