Co-op signs 15-year Corporate PPA with Voltalia
The agreement will source electricity for the group’s full estate of food stores, distribution centres and funeralcare homes across the country
Co-op and Voltalia have signed a 15-year corporate power purchase agreement for the entire output of a 34-megawatt solar farm in North Yorkshire.
Under this agreement, the group will source electricity for its estate, including food stores, distribution centres and funeralcare homes across the country over a 15-year period.
Voltalia’s Eastgate Solar project near Scarborough, which is set to be fully operational in 2025, has begun early construction works and it will feature a total of 62,500 solar panels once complete.
When all the solar panels are operating at maximum capacity, they will provide enough electricity to supply up to 7.5% of Co-op’s total electricity needs per year.
Over the course of a full year, they are expected to produce around 34,000 megawatt hours of electricity, which is enough to power over 170 Co-op Food Stores and 500 Co-op Funeralcare homes.
Shirine Khoury-Haq, CEO of the Co-op, said: “The signing of this Corporate PPA is a significant milestone demonstrating Co-op’s goal to green the energy grid and create transparency in the renewable energy market.
“Not only will this agreement unlock more green energy, it will also enable energy security, drive economic growth and move us closer to net zero. That’s why we still believe that grid decarbonisation should be an absolute priority for the government.”
Sébastien Clerc, CEO of Voltalia, added: “We are very proud to support Co-op in their net carbon zero target by providing clean electricity in the food industry, reaching millions of individuals and enabling us to raise awareness of more sustainable and responsible consumption.”
