A solar panel, the size of 18 football fields, is now being built in the Falken tyre manufacturing facility in Thailand—the world’s largest rooftop installation.
Falken is building the world’s largest rooftop solar panel installation on a single site, measuring 100,000 square metres, or the area of more than 18 football fields, at parent firm Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) factory in Thailand.
The installation will be completed in January 2025, consisting of 40,000 solar panels with a combined output of 22 MW. The Rayong Province facility will be able to use 100% renewable energy by then, thanks to the investment in the new solar panel installation and the adoption of a petrol co-generation system and biomass electric power system projects. The petrol co-generation system, which consists of two 6.6MW boilers driven by renewable energy sources, will supplement the energy supplied by local utility providers. Furthermore, as part of SRI’s Sustainable Natural Rubber programme, biomass obtained from surplus branches and trunks following rubber tree harvesting will produce extra electrical power. The new initiatives will reduce annual CO2 emissions by 38,000 tonnes in total.
Driven by SRI’s long-term sustainability policy, ‘Driving Our Future Challenge 2050,’ the latest initiatives will help accelerate its carbon-neutral goals. This aims to reduce annual Scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions by 50% (compared to 2017 emissions), with its 2030 target now set to be achievable one year ahead of schedule.