The South Yorkshire site is one of the region’s largest food production facilities and now is home to a brand-new solar energy farm.
The installation of the 2.2MW solar farm follows a £2.1 million investment into the Carlton bakery.
The ‘farm’ stretches across 2.9 hectares of what was previously vacant land within the site and features 3,500 panels. Once fully operational next month, it will have the potential to supply nearly three quarters of the plant’s electricity needs at peak production – powering everything from mixers and packaging machinery to lighting and office equipment.
The solar project is expected to reduce the site’s carbon emissions by 468 tonnes per year, along with delivering savings in annual energy costs.
The Carlton site has been part of the community for more than 50 years and is a major local employer for Barnsley, with up to 1,000 staff at peak production.
“Our Carlton Bakery was the largest purpose-build bakery in the world when it opened in the 1970s, and it remains the biggest bakery in the UK,” commented Nick Brown, ESG director at Premier Foods.
“This investment ensures it’s part of a more sustainable future. By generating more of our energy needs on site, we’re not only reducing our carbon footprint but making our operations even more resilient.
“It’s also positive that the solar farm has the capability to potentially export electricity back into the local electricity grid, when we are producing more electricity than we need. This project is a key step in helping us deliver on our Enriching Life Plan commitments to cut emissions and reach net zero - delivering real environmental benefits for the local community and our business as a whole.”
This move forms part of its Enriching Life Plan, with Premier Foods aiming to cut its direct greenhouse gas emissions by 70% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2040. Since 2020/21, it has already reduced its scope 1 and 2 emissions by 30%, with the Carlton solar farm marking a significant step towards further progress.
The food manufacturer has made several other solar investments across other sites as part of this strategy, including a £500k system at its Stoke bakery, which has now been completed, and a further £500k project which is underway in Ashford and will be switched on shortly.
