Sainsbury’s celebrates the completion of a brand-new wind farm in Scotland in order to power its operations nationwide.
The Longhill Burn Wind Farm features eight of the most powerful onshore wind turbines available in the country, each with a maximum capacity of 6.4MW. Over the course of a full year, the wind farm is expected to produce around 150,000 megawatt-hours of electricity, enough to power around 55,000 average UK homes.
The site is anticipated to help power the retailer’s national estate of more than 600 supermarkets, over 800 convenience stores, and offices and depots nationwide across the UK. When all the turbines are operating at maximum capacity, together they will provide enough electricity to supply up to 33% of Sainsbury’s total electricity needs.
West Lothian’s eight state-of-the-art wind turbines, designed and delivered by Siemens Gamesa, are the largest and most powerful onshore wind turbines in the UK. With colossal 76-meter blades and a towering height of over 200 meters, each turbine provides a maximum output of between 6 and 6.4 MW.
Sainsbury’s has committed to invest millions of pounds in the renewable energy produced by Longhill Burn Wind Farm over the next 15 years, which will help the retailer achieve its Net Zero ambition by 2035.
Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s Director of Property, Procurement, and EV Ventures, said: “We’re very proud to be investing in this state-of-the-art, sustainable source of new wind power. Longhill Burn Wind Farm can now begin to realise its full potential, helping us take another massive step towards reducing our reliance on carbon.
“Sainsbury’s was the first UK retailer to start directly purchasing wind power for use in its estate back in 2008. Our commitment to the future of Longhill Burn Wind Farm builds on our proven track record of investing in sustainable technologies.”
Sainsbury’s has introduced a number of new initiatives in the past year to reduce its environmental impact. In September, it switched from “use-by” to “best-before” dates on its milk range to help reduce household food waste. Two months earlier, it introduced cardboard trays for its By Sainsbury’s steaks, saving over 10 million pieces of plastic per year.
In May 2023, Sainsbury’s opened its flagship supermarket in Hook, Hampshire, which the company says is the ‘most energy-efficient supermarket ever‘, using 25% less electricity than its other most efficient stores.
Longhill Burn Wind Farm was developed in partnership with Energiekontor AG, which managed the construction of the wind farm and will oversee its day-to-day performance and maintenance.
