Whitbread will receive energy from several solar and wind sources. Image: Pixabay

EDF Energy has signed a three-year supply agreement with Whitbread PLC, the owner of many well-known hospitality brands, including Premier Inn, to provide it with around 340GWh of energy from solar and wind sources.

The agreement forms part of Whitbread’s sustainability initiatives. The firm’s “Force For Good Sustainability Programme”, which has gained Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) validation, sets the target of reducing its scope 1 and 2 emissions 99.6% by 2040 and reducing scope 3 emissions by 90% by 2050.

Raghav Singh, director of large business at EDF Business Solutions, said: “We’re excited to work with Whitbread as their energy provider, reinforcing our position as a low carbon energy partner of choice to market leading organisations. We look forward to building on this new partnership, supporting Whitbread in their net zero ambitions.”

Dan Urwin, head of procurement – performance, corporate services, utilities, and IT at Whitbread added: “As a business that is committed to operating as a force for good, we’re delighted to partner with EDF to continue our longstanding commitment to renewable energy. Our guests really care about environmental issues and this partnership demonstrates our commitment to a more sustainable future”.

EDF and solar

While it has not yet been made clear what percentage of the energy provided to Whitbread PLC will come from solar, EDF has been increasing its solar presence in the UK in recent months.

EDF Renewables Ireland recently announced that it had agreed a corporate power purchase agreement (cPPA) with forecourt and convenience retailer Circle K. Thanks to this new agreement, all 168 sites in Circle K’s network will be powered by three EDF Renewables solar farms in Wexford and Kilkenny, Ireland, which have a combined capacity of 17MW.

For those with home solar panels, EDF launched last month a market-first solar tariff with daily off-peak diss. This Empower Exclusive tariff is exclusively available to new customers who install a solar panel and battery bundle through EDF’s solar installer Contact Solar and offers zero standing charges and three hours of dised zero carbon electricity between 1am and 4am each day.

Meanwhile, EDF Renewables has been working to study and improve biodiversity on its solar farms, thanks to a new research project. Alongside the University of Exeter’s Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI), researchers will examine the effects large-scale solar farms can have on soil health, fauna, wildlife habitats and carbon flux. The six-year research programme is set to begin later this year at EDF’s Longfield Solar Farm project in Oxfordshire and will span six years to allow part-time PhD researchers to take measurements before, during, and after the development process.

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