The Lakes Free Range Egg Company has invested £2 million in clean energy.
It means it can now operated National Grid-free and has plans to become net zero by 2040.
David Brass, chief executive officer, said: “A range of on-site renewable energy sources have been incorporated into our operations, providing in excess of 1,600kw power and allowing us to reach carbon neutral and significantly reduce our Scope 3 carbon emissions.
“Our energy is produced from a combination of ground source heat pumps, biomass boilers and solar panels which can provide 100% of The Lakes’ packing centre and office electricity requirements.
“To ensure we can operate as an electrical island, energy sources are backed up to battery storage – guaranteeing a constant supply of electricity availability when natural light is too low to generate solar power.
“The debate around solar panels on agricultural land continues, but at The Lakes, around 1,150 KW can be produced by the solar panels.
“These are installed on the packing centre roof, on hen housing roofs and also in the wildflower meadows that hens access.
“The solar panels are multi-purpose; in addition to creating power, they also provide hens and wildlife with shelter from the sun and creating wildflower meadows has also attracted more insects and pollinators which is a win win for the environment too.”
Heat for the packing centre, reception and offices is generated through use of the on-site boreholes and biomass boiler system.
Contributing to their drive to circularity, the boiler is fed using biomass harvested from trees planted on hen ranges. Any excess heat energy is exported to local homes.
Jane Brass, sustainability manager at The Lakes, said: “Our whole sustainable approach brings us economic and environmental benefits. Economically, our clean energy helps us manage our operating costs. We are not subject to market price fluctuations, therefore not reliant on the grid and fluctuating market prices.
“From an environmental standpoint, creating clean energy means we can pack over 1 million eggs a day and still maintain our journey on the road to net zero.
“We have cut our on-farm Scope 3 emissions by reducing the level of soy in the feed ration for our farms and those of our producers. There are exciting initiatives in the pipeline including more investment in technology innovation, collaborations with our producers, and looking at regenerative agricultural practices that will increase our on-site carbon sequestration.”
