The South Yorkshire site stands as one of the region’s largest food production facilities and is now home to a cutting-edge solar energy farm.
Following a significant investment of £2.1 million in the Carlton bakery, the installation of the 2.2MW solar farm has commenced.
Spanning 2.9 hectares of previously vacant land, this energy farm features 3,500 solar panels. Once it becomes fully operational next month, it will supply nearly three-quarters of the plant’s peak production electricity needs, powering everything from mixers and packaging machinery to lighting and office equipment.
This solar initiative is poised to reduce the site’s carbon emissions by 468 tonnes annually, while also offering significant savings in energy costs.
Having served the community for over 50 years, the Carlton site is a major employer in Barnsley, providing jobs for up to 1,000 staff at peak production.
“Our Carlton Bakery was the largest purpose-built bakery in the world when it opened in the 1970s, and it remains the biggest bakery in the UK,” commented Nick Brown, ESG director at Premier Foods.
“This investment ensures it’s part of a more sustainable future. By generating more of our energy needs on site, we’re not only reducing our carbon footprint but also making our operations more resilient.”
“It’s also positive that the solar farm has the capability to potentially export electricity back into the local electricity grid when we are producing more than we need. This project is a key step in helping us fulfill our Enriching Life Plan commitments to cut emissions and achieve net zero, delivering tangible environmental benefits for both the local community and our business as a whole.”
This initiative aligns with Premier Foods’ Enriching Life Plan, which targets a 70% reduction in direct greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and aims for net zero by 2040. Since 2020/21, the company has successfully reduced its scope 1 and 2 emissions by 30%, with the Carlton solar farm representing a pivotal step towards further progress.
As part of this strategy, the food manufacturer has executed several other solar investments across different sites. This includes a £500k solar system at its Stoke bakery, which is now operational, as well as an additional £500k project currently underway in Ashford, which will be activated shortly.
