Powering Up: Tesco’s Bold Solar Move and the Corporate Shift to Renewable Energy

In an ambitious leap toward renewable energy, Tesco, one of the UK’s leading supermarket chains, has signed a deal to source two-thirds of the electricity generated by the upcoming Cleve Hill solar park in Kent. The £450 million solar farm, set to be the UK’s largest combined solar and battery storage facility, will supply Tesco with enough power to meet 10% of its UK electricity needs, enough to run 144 large stores annually.

The Cleve Hill project, designed by Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, is no small feat. Once operational in 2025, it will boast over 560,000 solar panels, some reaching the height of a double-decker bus, generating an impressive 373 megawatts of clean energy. With the addition of battery storage, this energy can be stored and used efficiently, smoothing out supply fluctuations on cloudy days or during peak hours.

Ken Murphy, Tesco’s Chief Executive, views this initiative as a major stride toward the company’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2035. By striking this long-term power purchase agreement (PPA), Tesco not only secures a stable supply of green energy but also strengthens its commitment to reducing carbon emissions. It’s an inspiring model of how corporations can play a central role in tackling climate change and promoting corporate social responsibility.

This isn’t Tesco’s first step into renewables. Over the past five years, Tesco has entered various agreements with solar and wind farms across the UK, with the aim of meeting 45% of its electricity demand from green sources by 2030. Meanwhile, other corporate giants are making similar moves. Google, for instance, recently invested in nuclear energy, ordering a series of mini nuclear reactors to power its AI-driven data centres.

Renewable energy solutions like Cleve Hill are crucial in helping the UK move towards a carbon-neutral economy by 2050. And as major companies such as Tesco lead by example, the shift towards green energy seems both achievable and essential.

Glossary

• Battery Storage: Technology that stores electricity generated by renewable sources, like solar and wind, for later use.
• Carbon Neutrality: The state of balancing carbon emissions with carbon offsetting measures, resulting in zero net emissions.
• Cleve Hill Solar Park: A large solar and battery storage project in Kent, designed to provide renewable energy to Tesco and the national grid.
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): A company's efforts to make a positive impact on society and the environment beyond profit-making.
• Megawatt (MW): A unit of power measurement equal to one million watts, often used to describe the output of power plants.
• Power Purchase Agreement (PPA): A legal contract between an electricity generator and a buyer, outlining the terms of electricity supply, typically from renewable sources.
• Renewable Energy: Energy generated from natural resources that replenish themselves, such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power.
• Solar Farm: A large-scale collection of solar panels installed to capture sunlight and convert it into electricity.
• Wind Farm: An area with many wind turbines used to produce electricity from wind energy.

Retrieval Questions

1. What is the purpose of Tesco’s agreement with the Cleve Hill solar park?
2. How much of Tesco’s UK electricity demand will Cleve Hill meet?
3. What is battery storage, and why is it essential for solar energy projects like Cleve Hill?
4. Define “corporate social responsibility” and explain how Tesco’s actions reflect this concept.
5. Which other major companies are investing in renewable energy, and what types are they using?