Powering Pilgrim's towards a sustainable future through solar energy

Pilgrim’s, one of Britain’s leading food and beverage manufacturing companies, has been proudly powered by EDF Business Solutions since 2021. This partnership enabled us to bring together energy expertise and innovative net zero solutions to support Pilgrim’s journey towards a more sustainable future.

SAS Energy, part of the EDF power solutions (formerly EDF Renewables), specialises in solar and has over 15 years of experience delivering rooftop, ground mount, and carport photovoltaic (PV) systems for industrial and commercial clients. Solar plays a key role in helping UK organisations decarbonise through onsite solar power.

This collaboration has taken a significant step forward as Pilgrim’s moves closer to its goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2040. Working with SAS Energy & EDF power solutions, Pilgrim’s completed a solar project at its Bromborough facility in the Wirral. The completion of this solar project saw the installation of 744 solar PV panels on the roof, putting previously unused space to valuable use.

Working with EDF to deliver renewable energy

The Bromborough site project is part of a wider initiative to roll out solar energy across multiple Pilgrim’s UK sites. Successful installations have already been completed at sites in Corsham, Redruth, and Andover, with a combined installation capacity of 2.4 MW and an expected generation of 10.25 GWh across 20 years. These projects, combining rooftop and ground mounted solar systems, have been implemented with several other additional projects in the pipeline, and each project carefully designed to maximise efficiency and benefits at its individual location. These are a major milestone towards the company’s target of sourcing 60% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

Josephine Blundy, Director of Sustainability at Pilgrim’s Europe, said: “Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, underpinning our entire business strategy. Many of our sites are already centres of operational excellence, helping us to innovate and optimise our sustainable food production. The four onsite solar installations with EDF power solutions represent a huge investment to help us further reduce our carbon footprint and will play a key role in achieving our ambitious goals.

Raghav Singh, Director of Large Business at EDF Business Solutions, said: "As Britain’s biggest supplier of zero carbon electricity, we’re delighted to strengthen our partnership with Pilgrim’s.  Having dedicated energy solutions partners like SAS Energy within the EDF Group has enabled us to support Pilgrim’s with their ambitious sustainability strategy. With the rollout of solar PV at several sites, Pilgrim’s UK is taking significant steps towards its goal of net zero by 2040.”

Deanna Greenhalgh, Director of Development at SAS Energy, EDF power solutions, said: "We are really happy to celebrate the successful completion of our fourth project with Pilgrim’s. This milestone represents another step forward in our mission to deliver onsite solar for organisations who share our ambition to create a future powered by clean, green, renewable energy. Congratulations to the entire team involved with the project."

Harnessing the benefits of solar power 

Onsite solar power is a quick way to generate zero-carbon electricity whilst supporting the development of new renewable infrastructure. It provides greater cost certainty, reduces long-term expenses, and helps avoid certain Non-Energy Costs (NECs). These projects will significantly reduce the carbon emissions from Pilgrim’s energy usage while providing long-term protection against price volatility, benefiting both the business and the environment. Collectively, these installations mark a major milestone for Pilgrim’s UK and represent a key element of their sustainability strategy, which outlines an ambitious roadmap across all areas of the business.

How this helps Britain towards achieving net zero 

As Britain’s biggest generator of zero carbon electricity, EDF share Pilgrim’s UK commitment for a greener future. By partnering with EDF, Pilgrim’s UK was able to access secure and reliable energy supply, lower costs and protect itself from energy price volatility. Reducing its reliance on fossil fuels contributes to lowering the carbon footprint of the UK food sector and supporting Britain’s wider goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

More than just an energy supplier - EDF Business Solutions and our group partners deliver affordable and bespoke net zero solutions for businesses and public sector organisations.  We’re proud to help the UK food manufacturing industry, achieve sustainability. Together we’re helping Britain achieve net zero. 

To find out more about onsite solar for your business or to speak to one of our experts, visit our dedicated solar page at https://www.edfenergy.com/large-business/net-zero/solar-energy-business and submit an enquiry. 

In this short video, Raghav Singh, Director of Large Business, shares why this project is a perfect example of how we’re helping customers accelerate their journey to net zero.