5,000 Sq meter Riyadh Complex Employing 1,000 Personnel Sets New Benchmark in Sustainability Standards across Saudi Industry

Riyadh-Saudi Arabia: 14 June, 2014 - Schneider Electric, a global leader in energy management, has received the prestigious ISO50001:2011 certification, becoming the first private company in Saudi Arabia to achieve the industry accreditation.

Assessed by Bureau Veritas, a global leader in Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC), Schneider Electric was awarded the ISO 50001:2011 certification for its advanced energy management solutions implemented across its office-cum-plant complex at Riyadh’s 2nd Industrial City. 

The 5,000 sq meter plant, which articulates Schneider Electric’s commitment to energy efficiency in the region, employs over 1,000 people including 200 Saudi nationals in the capacity of managers, professional engineers and technicians. The plant has the potential to expand production capacity by an estimated 25-30 per cent through manufacturing and assembling products for utilities operation, electrical distribution, industrial oil and gas, automation, infrastructure and energy efficiency management.

Ahmad Al Rashoud, Vice-President of Business Development and Energy Management Solutions at Schneider Electric Saudi Arabia, said: “The ISO certification is a definite milestone for us and for the broader industry in Saudi Arabia. It supports our corporate strategy to foster local talent in a state-of-the-art working environment, through the deployment of innovative and sustainable solutions.” 

He added: “As a global company, we are actively working to promote energy efficiency and sustainability, and we believe that the most effective way of doing this is to lead by example. This certification highlights the power of sustainability models in securing emphatic returns on investment in terms of enhancing safety, employee morale, reduced wear and tear of equipment, as well as lowering energy consumption and pollution.” 

Maen Al Nimrawi, Energy Bureau Manager at Schneider Electric, said: “Schneider Electric identified our main office located in the second industrial area of Riyadh as the largest consumer of electrical power. This influenced our decision to get the site certified by end 2013. During the six months it took to achieve compliance with the stringent ISO standards, Schneider Electric was assessed for total energy consumed, design, construction, operations, commissioning and maintenance.” 

With the plant’s established energy saving processes, Schneider Electric is well on course to achieve a 15 per cent energy saving per employee by end 2015, by which time the company aspires to have all its three manufacturing plants in Riyadh and regional offices in Jeddah and Khobar ISO certified.

ISO 50001:2011 supports organisations across all sectors in optimising energy efficiency through the development of a robust Energy Management System. As with all ISO certifications, the ISO50001:2011 accreditation can be obtained by companies keen on integrating energy management into business practice.