Tesco has launched a windfarm in the Scottish Highlands to generate renewable energy to be used by the retailer.
The windfarm was created as part of the UK’s largest-ever unsubsidised renewable energy Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).
Renewable Energy
In partnership with ScottishPower, the 30MW 15-turbine Halsary wind farm in Caithness, Scotland, will provide enough clean energy to power the equivalent of almost 20,000 homes a year.
Tesco aims to power stores directly from renewable sources and become a net-zero business by 2035, while helping to make renewable energy cheaper and more accessible for the rest of the UK.
Jason Tarry, CEO of Tesco UK and ROI said, "This is a critical year for climate action and these long-term renewable energy agreements are crucial to securing Tesco’s future energy needs and meeting our net-zero commitments."
"These partnerships will also help create more affordable access to renewable energy and support the UK in realising its climate change targets," Tarry added and continued, "Real change requires that businesses now start moving from making commitments to driving transformative action. Now is the time to accelerate our efforts to tackle the biggest challenge of our lifetime."
Power Purchase Agreement
In 2019, Tesco announced a major project to source green electricity directly from five wind farms.
The project is part of the largest unsubsidised renewable PPA in the UK covering five wind farms and four solar farms, which, when completed, will provide nearly 600GWh every year.
The output from these projects are equivalent to powering nearly 80,000 homes and will create more than 560 additional jobs, the company added.
When operational, it will supply Tesco with over 20% of its electricity needs from renewable energy.
These long-term agreements are central to Tesco’s strategy to source renewable electricity, and are expected to guarantee procurement over a 15 year period on average, giving energy providers confidence to invest and create new energy for the National Grid.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Conor Farrelly. For more Retail news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
