A single, cohesive energy solution combining solar power, steam and refrigeration, all optimised through sustainability and asset-management platform Syntiro, has enabled dairy giant Clover to reimagine its entire energy ecosystem at its Queensburgh mega-factory.

Under a 20-year agreement with pioneering energy solutions company Energy Partners, Clover has reduced its lifecycle costs, strengthened resilience and improved sustainability performance. The agreement saw Energy Partners design, finance, construct and now operate a significant portion of Clover’s integrated energy system. Clover pays only for the energy it consumes while Energy Partners carries the capital and operational responsibility.

Fully Integrated Energy Solution

This model, known as servitisation, guarantees measurable results by integrating refrigeration, steam and solar power into a single, data-driven system. The R360-million project, funded and operated by Energy Partners, has unlocked efficiency, resilience and sustainability at scale.

With zero capital investment, Clover will achieve R792-million in operational cost savings over the contract term, alongside a 40% improvement in cooling efficiency. The plant will also avoid an estimated 132-million tonnes of CO₂ emissions through solar-assisted cooling, natural refrigerants, and waste-heat recovery.

Engineering Integration

The scope of the project was extensive. Within 18 months, Energy Partners had constructed a new ammonia cooling plant inside Clover’s existing facility, a 1 180 m² boiler house, and a 1.6 MW rooftop solar array, all while ensuring minimal disruption to production.

Each component of the integrated system was engineered for synergy. Solar energy offsets grid reliance, while high-efficiency boilers and heat recovery systems reduce fuel use. Natural refrigerants minimise environmental impact, and a centralised digital control system ensures uptime and optimal efficiency.

Syntiro’s Digital Edge

What truly distinguishes the Clover project is its intelligence layer, a digital framework that connects engineering with real-time performance management. Using Syntiro Access and Control, powered by Tridium, the entire energy ecosystem is monitored and fine-tuned continuously.

Thousands of data points flow into Syntiro, Energy Partners’ award-winning sustainability and asset-management platform, which enables Energy Partners and Clover to:

• Track and benchmark performance across utilities and processes
• Detect and correct inefficiencies as they occur
• Optimise load shifting and energy balance in real time, and
• Generate audit-grade, ESG-ready data linking environmental impact directly to financial performance.

In 2025, Syntiro was named Innovative Project of the Year at the Southern African Energy Efficiency Confederation Awards, affirming Energy Partners’ leadership in ensuring data-driven sustainability delivers real operational gains.

A Model For The Future

Beyond the numbers, the partnership between Clover and Energy Partners underscores how engineering, asset ownership and digital intelligence can work together to build long-term resilience.

By paying per unit of useful energy rather than investing in infrastructure, Clover gains predictable budgeting, guaranteed uptime and a system continually optimised for efficiency. The benefits are tangible: reduced risk, lower emissions, freed-up capital and transparent reporting. For Energy Partners, it demonstrates how an integrated, lifecycle approach can help clients shift and save energy across their total utility footprint.

As South Africa’s industries adapt to a more complex energy environment, the Clover–Energy Partners partnership stands as proof that the future of energy efficiency lies not only in what you build, but in how intelligently you operate it.