Toyota complete solar panel array

Toyota have today switched on an array of almost 13,000 solar panels to power their Deeside factory. These panels will provide enough power to manufacture up to 22,500 engines.

The array is part of Toyota’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions and lessen the environmental impact of their operations worldwide. Jim Crosbie, Toyota’s Deeside Plant Director, said: “The significant investment we have made in the new solar array marks a major advance for Deeside and Toyota Manufacturing UK in our mission to minimise the environmental impact of our operations, cutting carbon emissions and powering our production in a way that’s cleaner and more environmentally efficient.”

Constructed by British Gas using panels from Tata Power Solar, the array will generate up to 3,475,000 kWh of electricity per year. This is enough to produce up to 22,500 engines. The use of solar energy is predicted to reduce carbon emissions by 1,800 tonnes a year.

A British Success Story

The Deeside factory was established in 1992 with an investment of £700 million. The plant employs 570 people and produces both petrol and hybrid petrol engines. These engines are then shipped worldwide. This is not the first time Toyota have implemented solar energy as a power source. The Toyota Burnaston factory in Derbyshire installed one of Britain’s largest solar panel arrays back in 2011. All part of Toyota’s continuing effort to become one of the greenest car manufacturers.

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