“Each renewable energy project, starting from small ones for household consumption, ending with green energy parks created for the production needs of companies, being able to partially or fully provide the production process with electricity, strengthens our energy independence. It is also an investment in sustainability and an important step in the direction of climate neutrality,” Kaspars Melnis, the Minister of Climate and Energy, is convinced.
The total area of the newly opened solar panel park in the territory of Olpha in Olaine is 4.2 hectares. EUR 3,560,833.04 were invested in its creation, EUR 882,851.16 of which consist of co-financing from the EU Recovery Fund, managed by the Development Finance Institution “Altum”. The project was commenced in April 2023 and was commissioned in September 2024.
Igors Vilcāns, Chief Power Engineer at Olpha, emphasizes that the company has been implementing in recent years very targeted activities to reduce its overall energy consumption and increasingly use green energy solutions. Thanks to the solar park, the company will be able to reduce annual emissions equivalent to the amount of CO₂ that could be absorbed by approximately 100,000 trees over 10 years.
The production capacity of Olpha reaches more than one billion tablets and capsules per year. In the future, we plan to increase production capacity, as more and more new medicines join our product portfolio. That is why we are already investing in environmental sustainability and green energy solutions. Taking care of people’s health, measures promoting environmental health are also important for us as a local patriotic company. We also aim to become one of the greenest pharmaceutical companies. Such a targeted and strategic approach has allowed Olpha to reduce carbon emissions by almost 29% over the past five years,” says Juris Bundulis, Chairman of the Management Board of Olpha.
In addition to the solar panel park, the company with state support in the amount of 30%, administered by the Development Finance Institution “Altum”, also implements the renovation of the heat supply and technological steam external networks with a total investment of more than 3 million euros, allowing to reduce energy losses and thus also CO2 emissions. Work is also continued on the company’s wastewater treatment system reconstruction and modernisation project, which will see the development of new, fully automated, closed-loop plant technology. The total investment in this project are planned in the amount of EUR 11.3 million.
During the visit, K. Melnis also discussed with the management of Olpha such important issues for society and business environment as the European Green Course and the National Energy and Climate Plan. Support mechanisms for companies investing in the production and use of renewable energy were also discussed. The minister also appreciated the company’s current achievements in promoting energy independence as well as investments in organization of more environmentally friendly production processes.
