Rasco covers as much as 70 percent of its electricity needs with a new photovoltaic power plant

Rasco, a manufacturer of municipal equipment from Kalinovac in the Koprivnica-Križevci County, is completing its latest green investment. The project titled ‘Increasing the use of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency’ worth 800 thousand euros has been submitted for co-financing from European Union funds from the European Regional Development Fund 2021, and has achieved the right to a non-repayable grant of 379 thousand euros.

The largest share of the project costs, as well as the savings in delivered energy that will be achieved through this project, relates to the installation of a solar photovoltaic power plant with a capacity of 324 kWh on the roof of the production hall in Kalinovac. This is the second photovoltaic power plant that Rasco has invested in over the past 5 years. Thanks to this, it now covers 70 percent of its electricity needs from sustainable solar energy.

In the colder part of the year, energy savings, specifically the reduction of natural gas consumption, will be contributed by the newly installed waste heat recovery system. The heat generated as a byproduct of the operation of the surface protection plant’s compressor will no longer remain unused but will be used for heating the workspace with the help of the new system.

– Over the past decade, every investment in the growth and development of Rasco has been accompanied by measures aimed at achieving positive environmental effects, especially through improving energy efficiency. A proactive approach to environmental protection is our competitive advantage, and as one of the largest manufacturers of equipment for maintaining municipal infrastructure in Europe, in 2020 we launched the most advanced compact cleaner in its class – Lynx, and the success is also contributed by Lynx Charge – the electric vehicle version that is capturing an increasing share of the market – said Ivan Franičević, CEO of the company.

Rasco has also invested significant funds in acquiring several new, more environmentally friendly metal processing machines. The new machines are more energy-efficient and have replaced older models. In addition, an electric forklift has been acquired to replace the old liquefied petroleum gas-powered forklift. This decision is in line with Rasco’s policy based on continuous modernization of the production process and promoting sustainability.

The project nearing completion will result in a total annual saving of 566,205 kWh of delivered energy. Of that, the new solar power plant will produce 446,287 kWh of renewable energy annually, replacing traditional energy sources, while the remaining 119,918 kWh of savings will be achieved through energy efficiency measures. Overall, a reduction in CO2 emissions of 172 tons per year is expected.