Innodis has taken a significant step towards a more sustainable industrial future with the inauguration of its first two solar power plants in Arsenal, a project that underscores the growing role of private enterprise in Mauritius’s transition towards renewable energy.
Developed in partnership with GreenYellow Austral under the Carbon Neutral Industrial Sector Renewable Energy Scheme (CNIS), the installations have been operational since September 2026. With a combined installed capacity of 4.2 megawatt-peak (MWp), the plants are expected to generate more than 6.5 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of renewable electricity annually and prevent approximately 4,620 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
The inauguration, held on 28 October, brought together representatives from government, the energy sector and the financial community, including Minister of Energy and Public Utilities Patrick Assirvaden, Central Electricity Board (CEB) Chairman Hassen Fakim, CEB Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Shamshir Mukoon, Innodis Group CEO Jean-Pierre Lim Kong, GreenYellow Austral CEO Benoît Regnard and Aldo Sydonie, Head of MRC at Mauritius Commercial Bank.
Driving industrial progress through concrete action
“At Innodis, we believe that the development of our business and the protection of the environment must go hand in hand. With these first two solar power plants, we are taking an important step in that direction. Solar energy enables us to contribute to the country’s energy transition while preparing our business for the challenges of tomorrow. For an industrial group like ours, investing in more sustainable energy also strengthens our competitiveness and our ability to maintain production over the long term. This is the very essence of our philosophy: Good today. Better tomorrow,” said Jean-Pierre Lim Kong, CEO of the Innodis Group.
This approach also addresses the challenges facing the agri-food sector, including volatile production costs, pressure on natural resources and the need to reduce its environmental footprint. By investing in renewable energy, Innodis aims to make its operations more responsible and resilient. For Jean Pierre, the Group’s responsibility extends beyond economic performance. As a major player in Mauritius’s agri-food sector, Innodis contributes to the livelihoods of families, employs hundreds of people and works with farmers, livestock breeders, suppliers, distributors and local partners.
Reflecting on the wider significance of the investment, he said: “Our answer is clear: we want to build a modern, competitive, responsible and resilient industry. An industry that produces today without compromising tomorrow’s resources. An industry that takes responsibility for its role in the country’s energy transition. ”The CEO also highlights the connection between the energy transition and food security. In a country heavily dependent on imports for several essential products, maintaining a strong and efficient local food industry is an important economic priority. Access to reliable and sustainable energy is one of the necessary conditions for the development of this industry.
As Jean Pierre emphasised in his speech, “A strong food industry requires a stable, competitive and sustainable energy supply.” By investing in renewable energy, Innodis is helping to secure the conditions needed for future production and protect the capacity of the local food industry to supply the Mauritian population.
A partnership extending beyond Arsenal
The Arsenal project forms part of a broader partnership between Innodis and GreenYellow Austral, which envisages the development of four solar power plants across several of the Group’s business activities. Once completed, these installations will have a combined capacity of 8.2 MWp and generate approximately 12.5 GWh of renewable electricity per year, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of nearly 4,500 Mauritian households. Following the commissioning of the two Arsenal plants, the programme is progressing with a new solar installation currently under construction for the Dairy division. The other plants planned under the partnership are also under development.
For GreenYellow Austral, this collaboration demonstrates how companies can turn their energy ambitions into reality through projects tailored to their operations and implemented over the long term. Benoît Regnard, CEO of GreenYellow Austral, said the partnership reflected the company’s commitment to expanding renewable energy production while helping more businesses navigate their energy transitions. The next installations are already under construction, bringing the partnership’s planned total capacity to 8.2 MWp.
The Arsenal project represents a significant investment in the future of Mauritius. As Jean Pierre noted, “These solar power plants are not a symbolic gesture. They are the result of a strategic choice: to invest in clean, reliable and sustainable energy.”
An important milestone under the CNIS programme
The Arsenal solar power plants were developed under the Carbon Neutral Industrial Sector Renewable Energy Scheme(CNIS). They are among the first off-site CNIS projects to be connected to the electricity grid in Mauritius. This achievement demonstrates the role the private sector can play in transforming the national energy mix. Developing projects of this nature requires collaboration between businesses, technical partners and the relevant authorities to deliver solutions that address the realities of industry while supporting the country’s energy transition objectives.
Speaking at the inauguration, Patrick Assirvaden welcomed the investment as an example of the tangible progress Mauritius needs to accelerate its energy transition. “This is exactly the kind of project we want to encourage in Mauritius: tangible investments that increase our production of green electricity,” said the Minister.
Patrick Assirvaden stressed that achieving the country’s renewable energy ambitions would require practical projects and sustained investment rather than promises alone. “I would rather set realistic targets backed by projects that are actually delivered than make grand promises that remain on paper,” he said. He also underlined the importance of private-sector participation, noting that the government and the CEB could not deliver the transition on their own. Businesses, investors, planters and households would all have a role to play in building a more sustainable energy system. Through this project, Innodis intends to continue investing in initiatives that combine operational performance, environmental responsibility and a contribution to Mauritius’s economic development.
