The cooperative chocolate manufacturer Campco (Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative) Ltd is betting big on green energy for meeting the electricity requirements at its chocolate factory.

Encouraged by the experience from its first windmill in Bellary district, the cooperative is now getting ready to install two more windmills in Belgaum district.

Mr K. Padmanabha, President of Campco, told Business Line that the Campco installed its first windmill at Halthimalapura in Hoovinahadagali taluk of Bellary district in 2009.

After producing more than 40 lakh units in the last two years from the 1.25-MW unit, the cooperative is now planning to install two units — each with a capacity to produce 0.85 MW power — at Chikkodi in Belgaum district.

Mr A.S. Bhat, Managing Director of Campco, said the proposed units would help meet most of the energy requirements of the chocolate factory in Puttur taluk of Dakshina Kannada district. The units will be commissioned for production by this month-end, he said.

Mr Suresh Bhandary, General Manager of Campco, said the total energy requirement of Campco's chocolate factory at Puttur is around 60 lakh units a year. The existing 1.25 MW unit at Halthimalapura produces around 20-22 lakh units a year. The proposed units are expected to contribute 32-35 lakh units a year.

“With this, more than 90 per cent of the energy requirements of the chocolate factory will be met,” he said. Around Rs 10.36 crore will be invested for the establishment of these units.

The Halthimalapura windmill generated around 22,02,210 units of power in 2009-10, and 20,05,200 units in 2010-11.

Output

It may be mentioned here that the chocolate production at Campco's factory in Puttur has seen growth over the years. The production at the factory stood at 10,435 tonnes in 2008-09, and 11,065 tonnes in 2009-10. During 2010-11, the total production reached 13,623 tonnes.

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