Tesco is to install solar panels on 100 more large stores across the UK within the next three years.
Work is already underway at the first of the additional stores in Thetford, which is being fitted with more than 1,000 solar panels as part of a new Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with renewables investor Atrato Onsite Energy.
The new project builds on the 40 Tesco stores that already have solar panels fitted – generating more than 10.5GWh of solar electricity in the last year, equivalent to 3,800 homes.
Tesco said four other stores would see construction before the end of the year, generating an additional 2GWh of electricity.
The supermarket said it was prioritising renewable energy, with the panels accompanied by other measures at stores including air source heat pumps used to replace gas heating boilers, customer EV charge points and electric dotcom home delivery vans.
Tesco has pledged to become carbon neutral across its operations by 2035, although it met its 2030 ambition to switch to 100% renewable electricity in its operations across the Tesco Group 10 years early, through a mixture of direct sourcing and renewable certificates.
“As we all face into the effects of climate change, scaling up our use of clean renewable energy has never been more important,” said Tesco CEO Ken Murphy.
“That’s why we are continuing our work to source green electricity from our own estate, setting out ambitious plans to install solar panels on the roofs of 100 of our large stores across the UK over the next three years – moving us further towards our target to be carbon neutral in our own operations by 2035.”
Gurpreet Gujral, MD at Atrato Partners, added: “Tesco has made impressive progress in its ambitious journey towards net zero, and we are proud to be working together to deliver the next phase of a solar rollout across their portfolio of supermarkets.
“As the UK’s leading food retailer, Tesco’s adoption of on-site solar will have a significant impact on emissions, and we look forward to supporting the business over the coming years to bring clean, traceable energy to more sites up and down the country.”
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