Solar panels to power Arla's site in Oswestry

During peak power the roof-mounted solar panels on the site will generate 800KW.

This means it can generate 12 per cent of the site’s annual electricity usage, which would remove 137,920kg of carbon emissions.

The news follows the announcement that, in partnership with ENGIE and Infinis, Arla has signed up for two new solar parks under a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), which will supply around 20 per cent of the energy needed to power Arla’s entire UK operation from renewable sources.

Fran Ball, VP of production at Arla, said: “We’re committed to working with our farmer owners to provide natural, nutritious dairy, that is made in the best possible way, and are proud to be committing to two new solar parks to help power our UK operations, as well as completing the recent installation of the solar panels at our Oswestry site.

"We are on a journey to climate net zero by 2050, which means that we are taking steps to reduce CO2e emissions on our farms, as well as focussing on other areas, including our production and logistics operations.

“As part of our Climate Action Roadmap, we will be switching to 100 per cent renewable electricity across UK production sites by the end of 2025, which will contribute 58 per cent of the emissions reductions we need to make in production by 2030.

"Additionally, 100 per cent recyclable packaging will be used across branded products by end of 2025 and will be helping our farmers to adapt more sustainable feed production practices.”

Graham Leith, chief operating officer at ENGIE Energy Supply UK, said: “ENGIE globally is committed to accelerated growth in renewables with a firm commitment to be Net Zero Carbon by 2045, for us and for our customers.

"We seek to understand the needs of our customers and working together with partners to create a solution that supports their ambitions in a timely manner.”

James Milne, chief commercial officer at Infinis, said: “We’re proud to be working with ENGIE and Arla to deliver clean renewable power and support their net zero commitment.

"Partnerships like this help to protect higher grade agricultural land from development – supporting both food security and energy security – and we hope will pave the way for many more such projects. Corporate PPAs combined with the CfD play a vital role in delivering subsidy-free solar power and achieving national net zero targets.”