PepsiCo is to invest £3.6m into the installation of a roof-mounted solar power system at its Leicester distribution centre.
Working with energy infrastructure specialist Ineco Energy, the project will see solar panels installed across 30,000 sq m of roof space – equivalent to around four football pitches.
Once complete, the panels are expected to generate 100% of the energy needed to power the logistics centre over the course of a year, reducing demand on the national electricity grid.
The 3.56 MWp (megawatt peak) solar power system is expected to generate around 2.84 GWh of renewable electricity each year – enough to power approximately 1,000 UK homes for a year. Any surplus electricity will go towards powering the Walkers crisps manufacturing plant, located just next door to the distribution centre.
Construction of the solar power system is already underway, with installation expected to be completed by September 2026.
“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,” said PepsiCo UK warehousing & logistics director Andy Smethurst.
Angus Rose, director at Ineco Energy, added: “Ineco is incredibly proud to be delivering this flagship solar project for PepsiCo.
“Once operational, it will be one of the largest rooftop systems of its kind in the UK food manufacturing sector.”
The installation of the solar power system is the latest in a series of sustainability investments across PepsiCo’s UK sites.
In 2024, PepsiCo installed more efficient machinery on its manufacturing line in Coventry and invested in new, more efficient fryers at its Brigg site, the home of Pipers Crisps. In May, it switched to electric ovens at its site in Leicester.
Together, these three initiatives have reduced PepsiCo’s greenhouse gas emissions by around 2,400 tonnes a year.
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