Daily Newsletter

02 November 2023

Daily Newsletter

02 November 2023

MAS Holdings expands solar power capacity with Project Photon Phase II

Sri Lankan apparel manufacturing company MAS Holdings says the completed second phase of Project Photon, its roof-mounted photovoltaic (PV) solar power initiative, comes at a crucial time for Sri Lanka which has struggled with an economic and energy crisis due to its dependence on fossil fuels.

Isatou Ndure November 01 2023

Before the inception of Project Photon, MAS Holdings says it had a 1.7MW of solar capacity scattered across various locations. Fuelled by its commitment to expedite the transition to renewable energy, Project Photon was launched, adding 16MW of solar power across 18 locations.

Project Photon started in 2017 with MAS Holdings claiming it took the company to the forefront of Sri Lanka's renewable energy industry and established it as the nation's largest generator and supplier of roof-mounted solar energy.

With the completion of Phase II, in which the manufacturing company made an investment of $16m, an additional 6MW has boosted MAS's total solar generation capacity to 23.7MW, surpassing its previous national record for solar power generation.

MAS says it has installed 67,000 solar panels at its facilities.

This solar capacity is anticipated to save approximately 18,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually, covering an area equivalent to 10 cricket grounds and possessing the capability to power around 34,000 households.

The most recent solar installation in Phase II took place at MAS Fabric Park (MFP), an eco-friendly industrial park in Thulhiriya, Sri Lanka, which is the country's first privately owned Export Processing Zone.

Expanding to 7MW, it now claims to be Sri Lanka's largest rooftop installation under a single Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) account. The initiative is expected to reduce the park's electricity requirements by 20%.

The execution of Phase I is described as "a nationally unprecedented multi-site project" that spanned the entire country and required an initial investment of $12.7m.

MAS Holdings says Project Photon has its own experienced solar engineering teams capable of undertaking renewable energy projects of any scale worldwide and it claims to have set a national benchmark for solar generation roof rentals, a model that it says is now emulated by most roof-mounted solar investors across the country.

MAS Holdings' commitment to reducing emissions is part of its sustainability strategy, the MAS Plan for Change, which aims to promote the company as a leader in sustainable manufacturing.

Last month (October) the Joint Apparel Association (JAAF) observed a growing pattern within Sri Lanka's apparel manufacturing industry, with an increasing number of companies opting to adopt the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).

Traditional AI is here to stay in the retail and apparel space

Initially, retailers used AI for basic tasks, including inventory management and demand forecasting. However, its usage has now become more prevalent in other aspects such as personalized marketing, customer service, pricing optimization, and supply chain management. With the rise of ecommerce and the increasing importance of data-driven decision-making, AI adoption in retail and apparel has accelerated. The industry now relies on AI to enhance the shopping experience, optimize business operations, and gain an overall competitive edge.

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