“An Ayrshire factory that ranks among Scotland’s biggest individual consumers of electricity is to receive a multi-million-pound green investment as part of its owner’s move to net zero.
A new 42,000-panel solar farm is to be installed across 56 acres of land owned by GSK at its pharmaceutical facility in Irvine. Plans also include the installation of two further 150-metre Enercon wind turbines, taking the total number around the site to four.
When fully operational, the solar farm and wind turbines will produce 45GWh of green electricity annually – enough to power the equivalent of approximately 12,000 homes.
The investment is part of a £50 million package unveiled yesterday at the opening of New York Climate Week by GSK chief executive Emma Walmsley. In addition to the project at Irvine, new solar energy production is also planned for another major GSK manufacturing facility in Oak Hill, New York.
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The investment is being made possible with the signing of a 20-year agreement to purchase the power from The Farm Energy Company, a Kent-headquartered specialist in large-scale private wire and energy offset projects. Farm Energy is being supported by Lloyds Bank to design, build, finance and operate the facilities.”
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Dorsey, Kristy. The Herald 20 September 2021.