Major solar project to power logistics hub in Leicester

13 March 2026

US food and drinks giant PepsiCo is investing £3.6m in a solar power system at its Southern Region Distribution Centre in Leicester, installing panels across a roof area roughly the size of four football pitches.

The project will cover about 30,000 square metres of roof space and is expected to generate enough electricity to meet the centre’s annual energy needs once operational.

The installation, being carried out with energy infrastructure specialist Ineco Energy, will have a capacity of 3.56 megawatt-peak (MWp). It is projected to produce around 2.84 gigawatt-hours of renewable electricity each year, an amount the company says is comparable to the yearly power consumption of about 1,000 UK homes.

Any electricity generated beyond the needs of the distribution centre will be used by the neighbouring Walkers crisps manufacturing plant, which the company describes as one of the largest crisp factories in the world.

The solar installation follows a £14m upgrade to the Leicester distribution hub completed in 2021. It is part of wider environmental measures across PepsiCo’s UK operations, which include electric ovens at the Leicester site, manufacturing equipment changes in Coventry and upgraded fryers at the company’s Pipers crisps facility in Brigg.

PepsiCo says these projects together reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 2,400 tonnes each year.

Andy Smethurst, UK warehousing and logistics director at PepsiCo, says:

“Leicester is already home to one of the world’s largest crisp factories, and now we’re delivering one of the most complex solar power systems, right here in the East Midlands.

“It’s a major milestone for PepsiCo UK and shows how we’re continuing to find new ways to power our sites and operate more sustainably.”

Construction of the solar system is already underway, with completion expected by September 2026.