Yuyu Pharma has built a large-scale solar power system at its Jecheon plant that will supply more than 30% of the factory's electricity consumption in-house. The company plans to turn the plant into an eco-friendly production base by cutting power costs and carbon emissions at the same time.
Yuyu Pharma said on Sept. 14 that it had newly installed solar power facilities with a capacity of 869 kilowatts on the soccer field, the production and engineering buildings, and the rooftop of the logistics warehouse at the Jecheon plant.
The company previously installed 30kW of solar capacity in 2020 and 96.6kW in 2021. With the latest addition, its total capacity now approaches 1 megawatt, or 1,000kW.
The new facilities are estimated to generate at least 1.2 million kilowatt-hours a year, with cumulative output projected to reach 30.96 million kWh over 25 years. Calculated at 2026 electricity rates, that output is worth 6.1 billion won ($4.4 million) over the 25-year period. After deducting the cost of the equipment, net gains would amount to 5.4 billion won, for an estimated return on investment of 784.2%. Yuyu Pharma expects to reach the break-even point within three years and recover the money spent on the solar facilities.
"From the perspective of cost management through lower energy expenses and ESG management aimed at fulfilling corporate social responsibility, we will develop the Jecheon plant into an eco-friendly production base by continuing to shift toward renewable energy," said Park No-yong, chief executive of Yuyu Pharma.
