PepsiCo UK has begun construction of a £3.6 million rooftop solar installation at its Southern Region Distribution Centre in Leicester.
The project will see solar panels installed across 30,000 square metres of roof space, roughly the size of four football pitches. Once operational, the system is expected to generate enough electricity to meet the site’s annual energy demand.
Energy infrastructure specialist Ineco Energy is delivering the installation, which will have a capacity of 3.56MWp and is forecast to generate around 2.84GWh of renewable electricity each year.
Any surplus electricity will be used to support operations at the neighbouring Walkers crisps manufacturing facility, one of the largest crisp factories in the world.
Construction of the solar system is already underway and installation is expected to be completed by September 2026.
The Leicester distribution centre plays a key role in PepsiCo’s UK supply chain. The site employs around 240 people and distributes products from the company’s six UK manufacturing plants.
The solar installation forms part of a wider programme of energy efficiency investments across PepsiCo’s UK operations. The company has also introduced electric ovens at its Leicester manufacturing site, upgraded machinery at its Coventry production line, and installed more efficient fryers at its Brigg facility.
Together, these measures are expected to reduce PepsiCo’s greenhouse gas emissions by around 2,400 tonnes each year.
