Co-op to source nearly 8 per cent of total electricity needs from solar

Co-op has signed a 15-year deal to purchase electricity for its stores and facilities from a new 34-megawatt solar farm to be built by Voltalia, providing enough electricity to supply nearly 8 per cent of the cooperative’s total annual electricity needs.

The Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (Corporate PPA) is for the entire output of a 34-megawatt solar farm, located in North Yorkshire. Under this agreement, Co-op will source electricity for its estate, including food stores, distribution centres and Funeralcare homes, right across the UK from Voltalia’s Eastgate Solar project near Scarborough, which is set to be fully operational in 2025.

Early construction works have started on the farm and it will feature a total of 62,500 solar panels once complete. When all the solar panels are operating at maximum capacity, together they will supply up to 7.5% of Co-op’s total electricity needs per year.

Over the course of a full year, they are expected to produce around 34,000 megawatt hours of electricity, which is enough to power over 170 Co-op Food Stores or 500 Co-op Funeralcare homes.

Co-op’s commitment will now unlock the investment required to build the solar plant and in doing so will help to add additional renewable generation to the UK, an important step as Co-op continues to call for energy market reform and work towards reaching Net Zero for its operations by 2035.

Shirine Khoury-Haq, group CEO at the Co-op, said:

“The signing of this Corporate PPA is a significant milestone demonstrating Co-op’s goal to green the energy grid and create transparency in the renewable energy market. Not only will this agreement unlock more green energy, it will also enable energy security, drive economic growth and move us closer to net zero. That’s why we still believe that grid decarbonisation should be an absolute priority for the government.

“Whilst businesses have a part to play, reform to allow much more rapid progress for projects such as the Eastgate solar project is urgently needed. Whilst the significant progress the UK has made to date is to be applauded, as a country we remain too reliant on fossil fuels, and ambitious targets alone won’t deliver the benefits that a Net Zero grid will deliver, from energy security to lower generation costs to the better outcome for the planet that’s so desperately needed.”