It has entered into a nine-year Power Purchase Agreement with provider BasePower. Through the agreement, BasePower will develop, install and operate a 2.0MW Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system, producing low-carbon electricity, steam and hot water for use in the site’s manufacturing process. The scheme also includes the upgrade of other heat infrastructure to maximise energy efficiency in the sterilisation and sanitisation processes.
The installation is already under way, with switch-on expected in late summer 2018.
The Cranswick Country Foods facility in Hull is the company’s biggest site, producing fresh pork products and processing more than 6,500 pigs per day.
Darren Andrew, site director, Cranswick Country Foods, said: “We are delighted to work with BasePower to establish a low-carbon, on-site energy scheme for Preston, which is closely aligned with our Second Nature sustainability initiative. In an environment of rising power costs this will further improve our energy efficiency, helping to keep Cranswick at the cutting edge of cost competitiveness and reducing our environmental impact.”
George Fowkes, director of BasePower, said: “We are now seeing real traction for CHP in the food sector as manufacturers realise they can achieve a step-change reduction in energy costs and carbon emissions with on-site energy generation. By working in close collaboration with the Cranswick team, the site will continue with business as usual while the CHP project is being installed, commissioned and operated.”
Cranswick was recently announced as one of the signatories of the UK Plastics Pact which aims to reduce plastic packaging waste.
For more on Cranswick’s recent investments, click here.