• The recently completed plant is the most powerful solar power plant in the Millerovsky District in the Rostov Region
• Capital breakeven is expect in 5.5 years from energy costs saved
• Part of the Group’s continued push to improve operational sustainability

Don Agro International Limited (the “Company” or “Don Agro”) and its subsidiaries (collectively the “Group”) are pleased to announce completion of a solar power plant installation that will reduce the carbon footprint on the environment and improve the Group’s operational sustainability.

The Group has installed a solar power plant with 72 high-efficiency solar batteries with a capacity of 32 kilowatts (“kW”) to generate 39,000 kilowatt-hours (“kWh”) annually. The complex turnkey solution was implemented by Clever Energy LLC with a Fronius grid inverter produced in Austria. According to Clever Energy’s calculations, the financial benefit from the solar energy generated by the power plant should exceed S$84,179[1] over ten years. The solar power plant will supply green energy to Don Agro’s office building in the area. Given the number of sunny days in the Rostov Region, the shift to green energy should pay off in 5.5 years.

Most importantly, the Company’s carbon footprint on the environment will be reduced as green energy replaces fossil fuel sources. Thanks to solar panels, carbon dioxide emissions into the air will be reduced by 20.67 tonnes a year.

Marat Devlet-Kildeyev, CEO of Don Agro International Ltd, commented, “Sustainability is a top priority for our team. That is why, for several years now, we have been implementing technologies for reducing the impact on the environment. We were among the first in the Rostov Region to use the no-till farming method, which prevents soil erosion and reduces the exhaust gases emitted into the atmosphere by the vehicles. We have introduced technologies based on artificial intelligence, increased production of organic wheat, and are regularly updating the Group’s machinery.

Green energy is the logical next step in implementing our ESG strategy as it will reduce not only environmental damage but also financial costs in the long term. Don Agro has no intention of stopping its sustainability efforts and will continue to explore methods for further improvement”.

Dmitry Konyaev, Development Director of Clever Energy LLC, commented, “Over the past few years, agricultural enterprises have been willingly switching to renewable energy. The agricultural sector ranks in the Top 3 in the number of solar power plants built in Russia by industry and the installed capacity of their stations approached 4 MW this year. We expect that the stations will help our partners preserve and maintain the environment and cut the fixed costs of energy supply.”

As part of its ESG strategy, Don Agro has already implemented a number of unique initiatives such as: Cognitive Agro Pilot autopilots installed on combine harvesters, which reduce fuel consumption by up to 5% through driving efficiencies; highly enriching natural Live Soil fertilisers produced from lake-bottom sediment; Smart Polymorph bio-stimulants, morphing new crystalline and amorphous forms of bio-stimulants to increase yield. In addition, Don Agro has quadrupled the area sown to organic wheat and increased the no-till farming acreage to 7.6 thousand hectares.

Social initiatives are also on Don Agro’s agenda. A holiday and a concert were organised for the residents of the nursing home for the elderly and people with disabilities. The Group also provided the local children’s horse riding school with animal feed.

[1] Currency converted as of 29 September 2022