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The project aims to significantly reduce the amount of electricity used by PepsiCo’s Little Island facility.
Global food and beverage provider PepsiCo has put €2.4m into a rooftop solar panel project based in Cork.
In total, there are more than 3,400 separate solar panels that make up the installation.
The solar photovoltaic (PV) system has added 1,625 kilovolt-amperes (kVA) generation capacity to the plant which, while running during peak summer months, could have the capability to meet 100pc of the plant’s requirements. The system is also expected to deliver more 20pc of the plant’s annual electricity demand.
The roof mounted installation covers a total of 6,800 sq m, or close to 40pc of the plant’s total roof area.
Through the month of August, this system generated 77,634 kWh (equivalent to the monthly electricity use of 220 households).
The news regarding the installation was welcomed by Brian Colgan, the site director at PepsiCo’s Little Island branch.
Colgan said that the installation is “the latest example of our commitment to ensuring that sustainability and social impact are at the heart of our work”.
The announcement comes just after it was revealed by the Food Industry Executive that the food and drinks giant was named among 2024’s top 100 consumer goods businesses. The solar panel investment also coincides with the 50th anniversary of PepsiCo’s Little Island facility.
Back in October of 2023, PepsiCo invested €39m into the Little Island facility, in order to expand manufacturing facilities for its range of global beverage products.
And just a few months before this, the multinational company invested €127m into the Little Island site.
The funding went towards the creation of additional manufacturing capacity and the site also saw further investment in its research and development campus.
Ireland has seen steady investment in the solar industry in recent months. In June, Danish-headquartered energy company Ørsted began construction on its first solar project in Ireland. And in September, Cork-based EV charging company ePower raised €16m to expand in both the EV and solar energy markets.
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