Sustainable First For Mauritius Hotel Group

Mauritius bound travellers with a penchant for sustainable tourism, are being given a warm welcome by Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels which has just become the first hotel group in the island nation Republic to install solar panels.

The Group has installed 3,090 solar panels in four of its resorts – all located off the south east coast of Africa - namely: Paradis Beachcomber, Trou aux Biches Beachcomber, Mauricia Beachcomber and Victoria Beachcomber.

Its commitment to solar energy dates back to 2008 with the installation of thermal panels, providing hot water for its hotels’ bathrooms and swimming pools.

However, this latest round of installations are the next step in the Group’s ecological approach. The resorts can now produce their own electricity from a natural and renewable source.

The panels, which have been installed on the roofs of the hotels, cover a total area of 10,329 m2. They can produce a capacity of 1,596,145 kWh per year, enabling the Group to considerably reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and achieve a threefold objective: to promote renewable energy, to lighten the load on the Central Electricity Board (CEB), and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The reduction of the load on the national grid is equivalent to the average consumption of 608 families in Mauritius. Likewise, the solar panels at Trou aux Biches Beachcomber and Victoria Beachcomber have already enabled the Group to cut CO2 emissions by 131 tonnes.

The Group's ambition is to extend this project to each of its eight resorts in Mauritius in the near future.

"This approach is part of our Environmental and Social Charter as well as our EarthCheck certification. It is in line with our 52 Commitments to favour practices that meet the key challenges of sustainable development with more efficient and cleaner energy use, allowing us to reduce our carbon footprint.

“Our goal is to eventually equip all our hotels with solar panels. We always aim to strengthen our actions that respect the environment,” said Geraldine Koenig, Chief Officer Operational Excellence of Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels.

For more information: www.beachcombertours.uk