Aggregate Industries has completed its first major renewable energy project at one of its UK sites as part of its ongoing net zero journey.
In a significant milestone for the leading building material’s supplier, solar photovoltaic (PV) technology has been introduced at its Hulland Ward concrete products site near Ashbourne in Derbyshire.
A total of 944 solar panels have been installed on factory rooftops at the site, the biggest precast concrete manufacturing plant in the UK. The plant produces hard landscaping products, including paving, edging, and kerbs, for its Bradstone and Charcon ranges.
The project, managed by Regenerco and installed by Aniron, can generate more than 415,000 kWh of power per year, equating to seven percent of the site’s annual power needs and resulting in a savings of 75 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.
Introducing more renewable energy sources is a key part of the company’s net zero strategy which aims to achieve zero emissions before 2050.
Luke Olly, Head of Decarbonisation at Aggregate Industries UK, said: “Completing our first major solar project on one of our biggest sites is a key milestone for Aggregate Industries.
“To accelerate green growth and decarbonise the industry we must first decarbonise our own operations.
“Developing and growing our renewable energy capacity is a key component of our net zero strategy. Not only does it reduce emissions by helping us generate our own clean electricity it also helps lower costs.
“Hulland Ward marks the first of 30 MW of renewable energy projects we have in the pipeline as part of our Net Zero strategy and ultimately, by 2035, we want to be producing 200 GWh of our own clean electricity.”
Nigel Price, Director at Burton-based Regenerco which developed the project installation, said: “It is fantastic to get this fully funded power purchase agreement over the line for Aggregate Industries to support them on their clean electricity needs.
“We now look forward to building on this success and getting the next planned projects to fruition, our job is to support AIUK to meet its Net Zero strategy.”
To find out more about Aggregate Industries’ net zero journey visit www.aggregate.com/sustainability
