Saputo UK finishes solar power project at Cathedral City factory
The initiative has been implemented in partnership with global solar developer Lightsource bp and includes a 30-year power purchase agreement.
“I’m delighted that the solar park at our Davidstow creamery in Cornwall is now fully operational," said Tom Atherton, president and chief operating officer of Saputo Dairy UK. "We are always looking for ways to improve our environmental impact and this project enables us to save more than 1,470 tonnes of CO2 a year - the equivalent of taking 810 fuel-burning cars off the road.
“By delivering 10% of the creamery’s annual electricity demand, this is a great example of just one of the projects Saputo is investing in to reduce the carbon intensity of its global operations by 20% by 2025.”
'Greener future'
Zosia Riesner, Lightsource bp’s director of power markets, Europe, commented: “There is no doubt that things need to change for us to combat climate change, and corporations are a huge piece of the puzzle. We are part of a small group of companies who are in the privileged position to be able to offer a solution and support corporations such as Saputo as they take strides towards a greener future.
“As governments continue to strengthen their sustainability policies and targets, our subsidy-free PPA solutions, and partnerships with corporations, are vital in helping governments achieve their net-zero ambitions.”
The Cornwall-based project includes a new substation and cable connecting the solar park to the creamery to deliver an estimated 5,307MWh of electricity annually. This is equivalent to powering approximately 1,400 UK homes or 3,400 electronic vehicles a year.
Scott Mann, MP for North Cornwall, said: “This is an extremely exciting project which I have been in support of and I congratulate Saputo Dairy UK and Lightsource bp for delivering it. I am delighted that the operation at Davidstow will now go forward with a large contribution from solar energy, helping not only our local environment in North Cornwall, but the UK’s ambition to achieve a net-zero economy.”
