Background
Afriflora is the world’s largest rose grower and supplier to Europe, operating 460
hectares of greenhouse production in Ethiopia and employing over 13,000 people.
The company has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by
2030.
In 2024, 13% of Afriflora’s emissions stemmed from Scope 1 sources — primarily:
● Diesel-powered generators (used due to frequent grid outages)
● Combustion engine machinery
● Cooling systems using high-emission refrigerants
Although Ethiopia’s electricity mix is largely hydropower-based, the national grid is
unreliable. Frequent power outages force Afriflora to rely heavily on diesel generators.
However:
● Diesel is increasingly scarce and expensive
● Fuel prices are volatile
● Supply reliability is uncertain
● Diesel dependence contradicts Afriflora’s sustainability ambitions
Solar energy presents a promising alternative due to Ethiopia’s high solar potential.
However, transitioning to solar requires:
● Significant upfront investment
● Infrastructure upgrades
● Organizational commitment
● Internal alignment across departments
● Careful risk evaluation
Before engaging external partners or making capital commitments, Afriflora requires
a robust internal business case that clearly outlines the strategic, financial and
operational rationale for moving away from diesel toward solar energy solutions.
The Core Challenge
How can Afriflora internally position, justify and structure the transition from
diesel-powered energy systems to solar energy solutions in a way that is
financially convincing, strategically aligned and organizationally feasible?
The focus is not on engineering design, but on internal decision-making,
stakeholder alignment and investment justification.
Technical depth is supportive, but the core focus is strategic, financial and
organizational.
Challenge Objective
Within one month, a multidisciplinary student team will develop a convincing
internal business case that enables Afriflora’s leadership to decide whether - and
how - to transition from diesel to solar energy.
The team acts as an internal advisory group tasked with:
● Structuring the investment rationale
● Identifying trade-offs
● Mapping risks and uncertainties
● Building financial justification
● Developing an internal communication strategy
● Defining an implementation pathway
Afriflora is the world's largest rose grower and the leading supplier of roses in Europe. Every day, their 12,500 dedicated employees in Ethiopia and Aalsmeer cultivate and process between 2.5 and 4 million roses. Since their establishment in 2005, sustainability has been at the core of their company values. They are constantly striving to make a positive impact on both the environment and society.
