Tronox Holdings plc, the world’s leading manufacturer of titanium dioxide pigment, has engaged SOLA Group Inc. as a long-term power provider for Tronox’s mines and smelters in South Africa.
The project is expected to be fully implemented by the fourth quarter of 2023. Tronox announced this project as one of many initiatives it will pursue to align its strategy with a 2° C global warming scenario and achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050.
Melissa Zona, Tronox Holdings plc’s Senior Vice President, External Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer, in a statement on Wednesday, said the renewable energy project with SOLA Group will reduce our global carbon emissions by approximately 13% compared to our 2019 baseline and has the full support of our Board of Directors and senior management
She said, “This is yet another example of how Tronox is committed to being a leader when it comes to corporate sustainability and protection of the environment. In the past 18 months, we have taken a number of significant steps that demonstrate this leadership: restructuring our Board to designate a committee with specific responsibility for oversight of Environmental Social Governance (ESG); including annual carbon emission reduction targets in our executive compensation plan; publicly announcing a detailed roadmap for reducing emissions, including a target to reduce emissions by 15% by the fourth quarter of 2025; and, committing to being fully aligned to both TCFD and SASB reporting for 2021.”
The execution of these agreements comes at a time when South Africa needs more power capacity on its electricity grid.
Founder of the SOLA Group, Chris Haw, is delighted to see large companies like Tronox are converting to cleaner, more cost-effective energy.
Haw, “These types of projects are the fastest way to bring new generation capacity online and not only contribute to closing the electricity supply gap in our country but also support the much-needed transition to clean energy and modernization of our electricity grid.”
In South Africa, Tronox is switching from coal-based to renewable power to protect land, water, air and ecosystems as well as to operate more sustainably by implementing innovative technologies and best practices.