THE completion of the build of Pines Burn Wind Farm in the Scottish Borders has boosted Sainsbury’s use of renewable energy.
The supermarket has committed to purchasing 100% of the renewable energy Pines Burn produces over the next 15 years, with it representing the eighth wind farm from which Sainsbury’s now buys 100% of the energy generated.
Featuring seven turbines, Pines Burns is adding 33.6 megawatts of new electrical capacity to the power grid. It has been under construction since July 2022 when Sainsbury’s signed an agreement to buy 100% of the electricity it generates with Capital Dynamics, an independent global private asset management firm in renewable energy investments.
The new turbines are expected to produce around 92,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity every year on average, the equivalent to approximately 8% of Sainsbury’s annual energy requirements. This is enough to power over 1.7 million standard LED lightbulbs continuously or provide electricity for around 3 million charging sessions at Sainsbury’s ultra-rapid EV charging service, Smart Charge.
Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s director of property, procurement, and EV Ventures, said, “We’re very proud to be celebrating our eighth wind farm in Scotland following the completion of Longhill Burn in West Lothian last autumn. A state-of-the-art, sustainable source of new wind power, Pines Burn Wind Farm is helping us take another fantastic step towards reducing our reliance on carbon.
“Sainsbury’s was the first UK retailer to start purchasing wind energy directly to power our business back in 2008. Our commitment to the future of Pines Burn, which both enabled its construction and guarantees its long-term viability, builds on our proven track record of investing in sustainable technologies.”
The project 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. Pines Burn will benefit from Capital Dynamics’ and Energiekontor’s longstanding operations management experience.
Barney Coles, MD, co-head of Clean Energy at Capital Dynamics, commented, “We are delighted to partner again with Sainsbury’s; this time on the development of Pines Burn Wind Farm. This commitment has been instrumental in bringing a new source of cost-effective, clean energy to the UK’s grid. Strong corporate partnerships like Sainsbury’s are critical for advancing the UK’s position as a global leader in the renewable energy and for meeting national carbon reduction goals. We look forward to further collaboration with Sainsbury’s and other forward-thinking companies to accelerate the private sector’s role in the energy transition.”
Peter Szabo, CEO of Energiekontor AG, added, “We are delighted to have successfully realised another important infrastructure project in Scotland, which we will continue to support by managing its operations. Together with Capital Dynamics and Sainsbury’s, we are thus contributing to the UK achieving its Net Zero goal. As a developer and operator of wind and solar projects, we will continue to consistently drive forward the realisation of our well-filled project pipeline in the UK Scotland in the coming months and years.”
