Supply chain firm Woodland Group has announced its largest solar installation to date, set to contribute 60% of its Doncaster site’s electricity demand.
In collaboration with the company’s customer, an ‘eco-friendly’ toilet paper maker fittingly called Who Gives A Crap, more than 526 solar panels have been installed over the past six months at the Hayes facility in Doncaster, England.
A green electricity tariff will supplement the 60% of electricity demand for the 130,000-square-foot site that will be met.
It is also worth mentioning that Woodland Group is now powering 100% of its data centres with renewable energy, making one of its most energy-consuming operations more environmentally sustainable.
Bernie Wiley, director of sustainability at Who Gives A Crap, said: “This is a huge win for us as it will essentially eliminate our emissions from electricity use in the UK, reducing our carbon footprint by 155 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. The solar panels offer a long-term solution, eliminating emissions now and into the future. As we grow, our emissions won’t.”
Andy Papps, head of corporate services at Woodland Group, commented: “We are delighted to support Who Gives A Crap in helping to bring their renewable energy goals to life. This is a real milestone for us in ensuring we become a provider of choice for business with a strong, sustainable agenda.”
Locational highlights
Doncaster has been a popular location in the UK for both local and international renewable developers to utilise for solar and battery storage facilities.
For example, in January 2024, Enviromena submitted plans for a 40MW solar farm to Doncaster City Council, aiming to be located northwest of the city centre.
The Marr site, as it has been named, designed to blend in with the local greenery, is predicted to achieve a 71% biodiversity net gain and a 47% gain in hedgerow units, hugely surpassing the national minimum target of 10%.
Previously, Boom Power released plans to develop a 237.5MW co-located solar-based Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) in Fenwick, Doncaster.
With an import and export grid connection having previously been secured at Thorpe Marsh Power Station, Boom Power released further plans for the project, which is set to cover approximately 325 hectares.
The former coal-fired power station is set to be transformed into a green energy hub. Once complete, it will be capable of storing up to 2.8GWh of energy using battery energy storage.
The proposal for the Fenwick Solar Farm is confirmed to feature co-located battery energy storage with solar.
