Success Story: A Sustainable Journey from Gemlik to the World
Company Information
Founded by the Güngör family, Güngör Olive started its activities in the 1990s with olive production in the town of Narlıca, Orhangazi, Bursa. The company later expanded into integrated facilities with a focus on quality, sustainability, and innovation. Today, with a storage capacity of 21,000 tons of olives and 6,000 tons of pickles, it produces and exports to more than 20 countries across Europe, the Middle East, and other international markets through a wide distribution network in Turkey. With its R&D investments, it provides innovative solutions to the industry, prioritizing food safety and customer satisfaction.
Problem: Rising Energy Costs and the Need for Sustainability
During the new investment phase, the factory’s high energy demand and rising costs were major challenges in line with sustainability goals. Increasing environmental standards and carbon footprint criteria in international markets made the use of green energy mandatory. However, there were technical difficulties in establishing a solar power plant:
- Designing a system with sufficient capacity to meet energy needs
- Adapting panel and robotic cleaning solutions to the unique barrel roof structure of the factory
- Ensuring efficient and cost-effective operation of the system
- Maintaining high performance of the solar energy system
Solution: Solar Energy Investment and Robotic Cleaning for Barrel Roofs
In 2014, the factory with barrel-roof architecture was established, and in 2020, a 2.8 MW solar power plant was commissioned. Panels suitable for the roof structure were installed. Since manual cleaning methods were insufficient, a robotic cleaning system suitable for barrel roofs was deployed. Excess energy in summer was sold to the grid for additional income, while in winter, most of the facility’s energy demand was met by the solar plant. Thanks to Robsys’ barrel roof cleaning robot, the investment paid off in only 2 years instead of the expected 7–8 years.
Outputs: Profitable and Sustainable Production
- The power plant quickly paid for itself with fast ROI.
- Significant reduction in energy costs; most electricity demand covered by solar energy, with surplus sales in summer.
- Gained international competitive advantage with green energy use and compliance with eco-friendly production criteria.
- Increased production efficiency; robotic cleaning preserved panel efficiency despite seasonal pollution.
Conclusion
Güngör Olive’s energy transformation and sustainability investment not only reduced operating costs but also created a model for the industry with its integrated environmental awareness and innovative approach. The factory achieved high-performance solar energy operations with design and maintenance solutions tailored to its unique barrel roof.
“Initially, we expected this investment to pay off in 7–8 years, but thanks to the high efficiency of solar energy, we achieved ROI in just 2 years.”
Ahmet Güngör
Board Member, Güngör Gıda A.Ş
