Sainsbury's Unveils 50MW Onshore Wind Farm in Scotland

Image credit: Sainsbury's

Sainsbury's marks a significant milestone with the completion of a cutting-edge onshore wind farm in West Lothian, Scotland. This "state of the art" 50MW project is poised to become a pivotal source, expected to meet up to a third of the UK retailer's annual electricity demands.

The Longhill Burn Wind Farm, fruition of Sainsbury's 2021 commitment to acquire 100 percent of the site's electricity output for the next 15 years, is primed to energize the vast expanse of the retailer's national infrastructure. This encompasses a network of over 600 supermarkets, over 800 convenience stores, and an array of offices and depots scattered across the UK.

Distinguished by its exceptional power capacity, the farm boasts eight onshore wind turbines, among the most formidable in the country, each boasting a staggering 6.4MW maximum capacity.

The visionary project, conceived and executed by Siemens Gamesa, features wind turbine blades spanning a remarkable 76 meters long. In comparison, the turbines soar to heights exceeding 200 meters at their zenith, as confirmed by Sainsbury's.

Anticipated to generate approximately 150,000MWh of electricity annually, this wind farm's potential is astounding. It could sustain over 2.8 million standard six-watt LED lightbulbs ceaselessly or provide electricity for around 55,000 typical UK households throughout the year.

Remarkably, Longhill Burn joins the ranks as the seventh wind farm from which Sainsbury's secures the entirety of its power supply, with an eighth site slated to commence operations in the forthcoming year. This visionary commitment to renewable energy signifies a pivotal step forward in the retailer's sustainability journey.

Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury's director of property, procurement, and EV ventures, said the retailer was very proud to invest 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 realize 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.