Benefits:
- Clean energy production.
- A 24% reduction in energy bills and less dependence on the electricity grid.
- Reduction of CO2 emissions by 365 tons/year.
- Helexia's €500k investment allows ArtesanalPesca to focus on its core business.
- Comfort and protection for employees and visitors in the parking lot.
- Appreciation of real estate assets.
In partnership with Helexia, ArtesanalPesca has installed solar self-consumption through a photovoltaic plant on the roof and a solar carport in the parking lot. In this way, the clean energy produced can feed the production process of the Sesimbra shipowners' cooperative.
Refrigeration and freezing are major energy consumers, as constant cold is required to maintain the freshness and quality of the fish.
With this implementation, the cooperative will guarantee around 24% of the energy needs that this refrigerated production process requires. This means savings on energy bills, greater independence from the electricity grid and fewer CO2 emissions.
Aware of the importance of climate change and the opportunities of sustainability as a business strategy, ArtesanalPesca chose Helexia for this project, which in addition to the technical implementation also financed the project to the tune of approximately €500K.
The 551 kWp photovoltaic plant will produce 778 MWh of clean energy per year and prevent the annual emission of 365 tons of Co2 per year. Part of the plant is installed in a carport system, which provides protection and shade for the vehicles of the employees who work there and visitors to the company.
ArtisanalFishing
ArtesanalPesca is a cooperative of shipowners created with the aim of enhancing the value of seafood caught by Sesimbra's artisanal fishermen. Keeping traditional catching methods as a fundamental pillar of its differentiation, the cooperative has 80 employees and also brings together around 400 fishermen in associated boats. It catches 66% of the black scabbardfish, 27% of the mackerel quota and 11% of the horse mackerel caught in Portugal. It exports 40% of its production and has an annual turnover of 20 million euros.
This company makes a difference on two key points - in the way it catches fish, through artisanal fishing - and through fair trade. ArtesanalPesca directly markets the fish caught by its members' boats. By uniting and centralizing its catches, ArtesanalPesca is able to position itself in the market, with a scale and security in defence of shipowners and fishermen that would otherwise be difficult to achieve.
The implementation of this strategy represented a revolution in the national fishing sector and made possible a fairer and more sustainable way of marketing fish. Buying fish from ArtesanalPesca is equivalent to buying fish directly from the fisherman.
The implementation of the photovoltaic plant reinforces its sustainable path.
