EDF Energy has signed a three-year supply agreement with Whitbread PLC, owner of many well-known hospitality brands including Premier Inn, to supply the company with approximately 340 GWh of energy from solar and wind sources.
The agreement is part of Whitbread’s sustainability initiatives. The company’s ‘Force For Good Sustainability Program’, which has received Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) validation, aims to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 99.6% by 2040 and reduce scope 3 emissions by 90% by 2050.
Raghav Singh, director of large businesses at EDF Business Solutions, said: “We are delighted to be working with Whitbread as their energy supplier, strengthening our position as the preferred low-carbon energy partner for market-leading organisations. We look forward to building on this new partnership and supporting Whitbread in their net zero ambitions.”
Dan Urwin, head of purchasing – performance, business services, utilities and IT at Whitbread, added: “As a company committed to operating as a force for good, we are delighted to be working with EDF to further our long-standing commitment to continue with sustainable energy. energy. Our guests truly care about environmental issues and this partnership demonstrates our commitment to a more sustainable future.”
EDF and solar energy
Although it has not yet been made clear what percentage of the energy supplied to Whitbread PLC will come from solar, EDF has been increasing its solar presence in Britain in recent months.
EDF Renewables Ireland recently announced that it has agreed a corporate power purchase agreement (cPPA) with gas station and convenience store Circle K. This new agreement will see all 168 locations in Circle K’s network powered by three EDF Renewables solar farms in Wexford and Kilkenny, Ireland, which have a combined capacity of 17 MW.
For people with solar panels at home, EDF launched a market-based solar rate last month with daily discounts during off-peak hours. Available exclusively to new customers installing a solar panel and battery bundle through EDF’s solar installer Contact Solar, this Empower Exclusive rate offers zero fixed costs and three hours of discounted carbon neutral electricity every day between 1am and 4am.
Meanwhile, EDF Renewables has been working to study and improve biodiversity on its solar farms, thanks to a new research project. Working with the University of Exeter’s Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI), researchers will investigate the effects large-scale solar farms could have on soil health, fauna, wildlife habitats and carbon flux. The six-year research program will start later this year at EDF’s Longfield Solar Farm project in Oxfordshire and will span six years, allowing part-time PhD students to make measurements before, during and after the development process.
