Hunt’s Food Group is aiming to create a renewable energy surplus over the next two years.
As part of the plans, the business is constructing a 14 megawatt solar array on its farmland, which will generate 185% of its current electricity demands.
The increased capacity will give the wholesaler the ability to meet its future energy needs as it looks to expand its fleet of electric vehicles.
In the meantime, excess electricity generated will be sold back to the national grid, or to private customers through a power purchase agreement.
Hunt’s will also expand its rooftop solar arrays across all of its existing depots.
The wholesaler said increasing the number of rooftop arrays would provide enough electricity to cover the daytime energy consumption of each depot.
News of the investment comes after Hunt’s saw a 63% decline in Scope 2 emissions in the last two years.
“For Hunt’s Food Group, investment in renewable energy and the environment is key to our future growth,” said Hunt’s technical director Dan Snook.
“As a business we need to manage the volatility of the energy market, which has had a deep impact on us over the last 12 months and prepare for a future without fossil fuels.
“Solar technology is here and available today, but the key to mitigating the effect of our transport on the environment will be access to distribution vehicles powered by renewables that have both a realistic range and an affordable price tag.
“We hope the government will work with the grid to ensure that feasible energy generation projects will be supported by a national grid infrastructure that doesn’t delay the progress of industry to embrace renewables.”
Last week, the company was awarded B Corp status after demonstrating consistently high social and environmental standards.
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