Sainsbury's has announced that the construction of a new "state of the art" onshore wind farm has been completed in West Lothian, Scotland, where the 50MW project is expected to supply up to a third of the UK retailer's annual electricity needs at full capacity.
The Longhill Burn Wind Farm, from which Sainsbury's struck a deal in 2021 to buy 100 per cent of the electricity over the next 15 years, is expected to help power the retailer's national estate of more than 600 supermarkets, over 800 convenience stores as well as its offices and depots nationwide across the UK, it said.
The farm features eight onshore wind turbines, which are among the most powerful available in the country, with each providing a maximum capacity of 6.4MW.
Designed and delivered by offshore wind specialist Siemens Gamesa, the wind farm's blades measure 76m in length while its turbines reach over 200m tall at their highest point, Sainsbury's said.
Over the course of a full year, the wind farm is expected to produce around 150,000MWh of electricity, enough to power more than 2.8 million standard, six-watt LED lightbulbs continuously, or to provide electricity for around 55,000 average UK homes.
Longhill Burn is the seventh wind farm from which Sainsbury's buys 100 per cent of energy generated, with an eighth site is expected to go live next year.
Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury's director of property, procurement and EV ventures, said the retailer was very proud to be investing in a state-of-the-art, sustainable source of new wind power, featuring the "largest, most cutting-edge" onshore turbines available in the UK.
"Now it's completed, Longhill Burn Wind Farm can begin to realise its full potential, helping us take another massive step towards reducing our reliance on carbon," he said.
"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, which both enabled its construction and guaranteed its long-term viability, builds on our proven track record of investing in sustainable technologies."
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.
