Wedoany.com Report on Mar 13th, PepsiCo has announced a £3.6 million investment in a rooftop solar project at its Southern Regional Distribution Centre (SRDC) in Leicester, UK, to advance sustainable operations at its facility.
The project, in collaboration with energy infrastructure company Ineco Energy, involves installing solar panels across approximately 30,000 square meters of rooftop space, an area equivalent to nearly four football pitches. The system is expected to meet the logistics centre's total annual energy needs, reducing its reliance on the grid.
This 3.56 MW rooftop solar installation is projected to generate around 2.84 GWh of renewable electricity annually, enough to power approximately 1,000 UK homes. Any surplus electricity will support the operations of the adjacent Walkers crisps manufacturing facility.
The solar investment follows a £14 million upgrade completed at the centre in 2021. The Leicester facility plays a key role in PepsiCo's UK supply chain, employing around 240 people and distributing products from six manufacturing sites.
Construction is underway and is expected to be completed by September 2026. Andy Smethurst, Director of Warehousing and Logistics at PepsiCo UK, said: "This project represents a significant milestone in our company's sustainability efforts." He noted that the rooftop solar system demonstrates PepsiCo's ongoing commitment to powering its operations in a more sustainable way.
The rooftop solar project is part of broader sustainability initiatives across PepsiCo's UK operations, which include installing electric ovens in Leicester and adopting energy-efficient equipment at its Coventry site. These measures collectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 2,400 tonnes per year.
UK Climate Minister Katie White welcomed the development, stating that such installations help reduce emissions, lower operating costs, and enhance energy security. Angus Rose, Director of Ineco Energy, said that upon completion, the project will be one of the largest rooftop solar systems in the UK food manufacturing sector, requiring collaboration and a technically advanced approach.
The Leicester rooftop solar project highlights the important role of on-site renewable energy solutions in corporate decarbonisation strategies and the UK's clean energy transition.
