PARIS, FRANCE: Co-op, a leading consumer co-operative, has signed a 15-year deal with Voltalia, a renewable energy company, to buy all the electricity from a 34-megawatt solar farm in North Yorkshire.

The Eastgate Solar project, which will start operating in 2025, will supply up to 7.5 % of Co-op’s total electricity needs per year, powering its food stores, distribution centres and funeral homes across the UK.

The agreement will also enable Voltalia to build the solar farm, which will have 62,500 panels and produce enough electricity for around 12,500 UK homes.

Co-op aims to reach Net Zero for its operations by 2035, while Voltalia reinforces its commitment to sustainable energy advancement in the UK.

Shirine Khoury-Haq, Group CEO at 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.

That’s why we still believe that grid decarbonisation should be an absolute priority for the Government. Whilst businesses have a part to play, reform to allow much more rapid progress for projects such as the Eastgate solar project is urgently needed.

Whilst the significant progress the United Kingdom has made to date is to be applauded, as a country we remain too reliant on fossil fuels, and ambitious targets alone won’t deliver the benefits that a Net Zero grid will deliver, from energy security to lower generation costs to the better outcome for the planet that’s so desperately needed.”

Sébastien Clerc, CEO of Voltalia said: “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.”