On Wednesday, October 2, in the presence of the Minister of Climate and Energy, Kaspars Melnis, one of Latvia's largest solar panel parks on a manufacturing company site was inaugurated at the premises of Latvia’s leading pharmaceutical manufacturer, "Olpha." The total investment in the project reaches 3.56 million euros. The solar panel park has a capacity of 3.2 megawatts (MW), which will supply up to 40% of “Olpha’s” annual electricity consumption—equivalent to the energy consumption of approximately 1,000 households for one year. The park houses a total of 5,390 solar panels, significantly reducing carbon emissions and increasing the company’s independence from fossil fuel sources.

"Every renewable energy project, from small household consumption systems to green energy parks created for industrial needs that can partially or fully power production processes, strengthens our energy independence. It is also an investment in sustainability and an important step towards climate neutrality," said Minister of Climate and Energy Kaspars Melnis.

The new solar panel park, spanning 4.2 hectares at "Olpha's" premises in Olaine, involved a total investment of 3,560,833.04 euros, of which 882,851.16 euros was co-financed by the EU Recovery Fund, managed by the Development Finance Institution "Altum." The project began in April 2023 and was commissioned in September 2024.

"Olpha's" Chief Energy Engineer, Igors Vilcāns, emphasized that in recent years, the company has undertaken targeted activities to reduce overall energy consumption and increasingly implement green energy solutions. Thanks to the solar park, the company will be able to reduce emissions annually by an amount equivalent to the CO₂ absorbed by approximately 100,000 trees over ten years.

"‘Olpha's production capacity exceeds one billion tablets and capsules per year. In the future, we plan to increase production capacity as our product portfolio continues to expand with new medicines. Therefore, we are already investing in environmental sustainability and green energy solutions. As a locally-minded company, caring for people’s health also means promoting environmental health initiatives. We aim to become one of the greenest pharmaceutical companies. This strategic approach has allowed 'Olpha' to reduce its carbon emissions by nearly 29% over the last five years," noted "Olpha" Chairman of the Board, Juris Bundulis.

In addition to the solar panel park, the company, with 30% state support administered by the Development Finance Institution "Altum," is renovating its external heating and technological steam networks with total investments exceeding 3 million euros, reducing energy losses and consequently CO₂ emissions. Work also continues on the company's wastewater treatment system reconstruction and modernization project, which includes the creation of a new, fully automated, closed-type treatment technology. Total investments in this project are projected at 11.3 million euros.

During the visit, Minister K. Melnis discussed with "Olpha's" management key issues of importance to society and the business environment, such as the European Green Deal and the National Energy and Climate Plan. They also discussed support mechanisms for companies investing in renewable energy production and use. The minister also praised the company’s contributions thus far in promoting energy independence and organizing production processes in an environmentally friendly way.