Sausage Company Installs 433 Solar Panels

In a significant step towards its net-zero ambitions, North Yorkshire sausage manufacturer Heck! Food has completed a £150,000 renewable energy project at its headquarters in Kirklington, Bedale. The company has installed a powerful 433-panel photovoltaic array, which is poised to generate 200,000 kWh of clean electricity each year.

This new solar capacity will supply approximately 20% of the factory’s total energy requirements, marking a substantial move toward energy independence and sustainability. Company co-founder Jamie Keeble emphasized the project’s impact, stating, “The installation of solar panels is another step we’re taking to ensure industrial sustainability while supporting our quest for net zero.” The initiative is projected to slash the company’s carbon footprint by an estimated 45 tonnes annually.

The project was partially funded by a £49,950 grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, a government program central to its ‘levelling up’ agenda. Richard Flinton, Chief Executive of North Yorkshire Council, lauded the initiative. “Supporting the county’s decarbonization is a top priority for the council,” Flinton remarked. “Manufacturers of high-quality products like HECK! are an important part of our economy, and we must support them in their efforts to achieve net zero.”

This investment in solar technology is part of a broader, multi-faceted environmental strategy at Heck! The company has already successfully reduced its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 30% over the last three years. “We have made a promise to our consumers and retail customers to be transparent about our sustainability journey,” Keeble explained. In line with this commitment, Heck! has begun measuring its Scope 3 emissions and plans to publish its first annual impact report this year.

Guiding these efforts is the company’s “HECK! Care Code,” a four-pronged strategy focusing on Health, Environment, Community, and Kindness. As the only premium brand in its sector to produce all its sausages, meatballs, and burgers in-house, Heck! is leveraging its operational control to pioneer sustainable practices. This latest project solidifies its commitment to transparently reducing its environmental impact across the entire supply chain.

Sausage Company Installs 433 Solar Panels: Sources

1. Heck! Food – Duncan Renewables
2. Heck! invests £150k in solar powered production | News
3. Solar sausages: Solar PV rollout to serve up a fifth of Heck! factory’s …
4. Solar PV – Business Green
5. Sausages powered by sunshine…HECK! Food invests in …
6. Heck! invests £150k in solar energy at HQ – Food Manufacture
7. A Year to Remember at HECK! – Heck Food