GEFF Egypt supports SME textile manufacturer shifting to solar energy

ODIBA Textiles reduces production cost through shifting to a cleaner electricity source

ODIBA Textiles invested in a rooftop Solar Photovoltaic (PV) system to shift a portion of their electricity generation to a clean and more efficient energy source. This helped the company reduce its carbon footprint and dependence on the national electricity grid.

Founded in 1945, ODIBA Textiles is a SME textiles manufacturer specialized in knitted fabrics for apparel made from 100% Egyptian cotton.

With the gradual restructuring of the electricity subsidies, ODIBA was concerned with the long-term impact of the increased tariff on their bottom line and decided to invest in generating its own electricity to reduce dependence on the national grid. In addition to the economic and strategic reasons, ODIBA was also interested in reducing their carbon footprint.

A grant and technical assistance from the GEFF team were important factors that encouraged OBIDA to invest. The GEFF team provided support to ODIBA throughout various phases of the project by providing technical and economic assessment of the operational benefits associated with the installation of the rooftop PV system.

The US$ 167,470 investment in the rooftop PV system offers a potential reduction in electricity bought from the national grid of 303 MWh per year. ODIBA considers this as partial protection against future increases in electricity tariffs.

The new solar PV system is expected to reduce the CO2 emissions by 176 tonnes during the first year, a valuable contribution to mitigating the negative impacts of climate change.

GEFF Egypt was developed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and is supported by the European Union Neighbourhood Investment Facility.