GAC Bahrain Boosts Renewable Output wiith Solar Development Project

(L-R) Shamit Joseph, Administration and HR Manager of GAC Bahrain; Fredrik Nyström, Group Vice President – Middle East of GAC Group; Johan Fulke, Managing Director of GAC Bahrain; Talal Mohamed Al Mannai, CEO of Al Mannai Projects; and Mohammed Saeed Elshiekh, Renewable Energy Division Manager of Al Mannai Projects at the signing ceremony. Photo courtesy of GAC.

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.

For the project, shipping and forwarding agency GAC Bahrain 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.

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,” says Johan Fulke, GAC Bahrain’s Managing Director.

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.

Talal Al Mannai, Chief Executive Officer of Al Mannai Projects, says: “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.”

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.

As organizations and governments around the world increasingly look to utilise renewable energy to reduce their carbon output, as well as their dependence on oil and gas, solar energy is proving to be a popular choice for countries across the Gulf Cooperation Council. Solar energy is regarded as an infinite long-term energy solution and GCC countries look set to benefit from its abundant supply of sustainable electricity.

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 Program to develop a sustainable energy policy and promote renewable energy. Since its establishment, SEU has developed two key policies – the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan and the National Renewable Energy Action Plan – to deliver the sustainable energy transition envisioned in the Economic Vision 2030 and support the country’s long-term environmental goal of producing 10% of its energy from renewables by 2035.