Henkel South Africa factory cuts CO2 by 39% with solar and efficiency upgrades, targets net-zero

Henkel's Alrode adhesive plant in South Africa reduced its CO2 emissions from 613 tonnes to 375 tonnes between 2024 and 2025, a 39% drop. The main driver was a 1.8 MWp solar array that now supplies about 65% of the plant's electricity. The facility also removed fossil fuel systems and improved energy efficiency by 35%, cutting costs while lowering its carbon footprint. As of June 2026, the Alrode site operates at net-zero emissions, positioning it for site-level carbon neutrality. The project shows how industrial facilities in South Africa can combine on-site renewables with equipment upgrades to achieve measurable emissions reductions without relying on offsets. This is a concrete example of industrial decarbonization in an emerging market context.