It may be "non-negotiable" but without buy-in from the government and Eskom, South African Breweries' (SAB's) intention to power all its local breweries exclusively with renewable energy by 2025 looks very ambitious.
Global parent AB InBev wants all its facilities to buy 50% of their electricity from renewable sources by the end of this year and all of it by 2025.
But though the group has already achieved 50% globally, SAB is only just beginning. The launch of a solar power agreement this month - local company Sola is installing 23,000 solar panels - will provide SAB's seven South African breweries with 10%-15% of their electricity needs.
Taryn Rosekilly, SAB's head of procurement and sustainability, says this could rise fairly quickly to 50%. But first "we require an agreement with Eskom, energy regulators and government on a regulatory framework that will allow us to generate renewable energy off-site and wheel it through Eskom's grid to our breweries across the country".
She says this agreement is a necessary precursor to a renewable energy tender that would also provide renewable energy to AB InBev breweries on the rest of the continent.
Eskom's inability to provide industry with reliable power is losing SA billions in revenue but mineral & energy resources minister Gwede Mantashe is dragging his feet on fast-tracking renewable-energy projects.
SAB says to become fully self-dependent by 2025, it will require solar energy facilities providing 191MW and Eskom can divert the saved electricity to other customers. "In AB InBev's eyes, the 100% deadline is non-negotiable," Rosekilly says. "In the short term, without the right policy, we won't achieve 50%."
SAB's solar power plan has three phases - solar installations on brewery premises; panels on adjacent land; and non-adjacent solar, wind and other renewable sources.
Rosekilly says other sources of renewable energy could be organic waste recycling. BMW SA, a neighbour of SAB's brewery at Rosslyn, north of Pretoria, derives much of its power from cattle manure.
As part of its sustainability drive, SAB this week took delivery of the first all-electric truck to land in SA. The eCanter, made by Japanese manufacturer Fuso, will undergo three weeks of testing at the Chamdor brewery, west of Johannesburg, to see if it is suitable for local use.
The eCanter - used by customers in Europe and Asia - has a maximum range of 120km between recharges, but Ziyad Gaba, head of Fuso Southern Africa, says the next model's range will be up to 350km.
Electric trucks are growing in popularity around the world. Gaba, however, says it will take time before they make a dent in the South African market. "With their current range limitations, and South African transport needs, they aren't at the forefront of South African companies' thinking."
It will take new government thinking for that to change. While it has talked endlessly about encouraging electric cars and commercial vehicles, punitive import duties, lack of recharging infrastructure and Eskom's inability to cope with electricity demand have ensured potential local buyers steer clear.
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