Yorkshire Water has announced plans to develop solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays to generate electricity at 150 of its sites.
The company has opened a tender for an eight-year solar framework agreement for building, operating and maintaining the on-site PV setups.
Yorkshire plans to purchase electricity under a long-term private power purchase agreement with the surplus exported to the grid.
The tendering process will allow suppliers to bid for packages of sites as they are released for development with the first expected to begin in 2021 and include the construction of 30 PV sites.
Scott Copley, sourcing and contracts manager at Yorkshire, said the project represents a “significant investment” in the company’s sites and renewable energy.
“We’re hoping bidding companies will bring new and innovative ideas to the table to ensure the project is delivered efficiently and provides the energy saving benefits to our business as part of our commitment to be carbon net zero by 2030.”
The company hopes to save approximately 6,000 tonnes CO2 equivalent per year once the PV sites are operational.
Across the water sector companies have committed to reach carbon net-zero by 2030 as a public interest commitment (PIC) coordinated by Water UK.
Last year Yorkshire achieved an 80 per cent reduction in operational emissions compared to 2005 after working to lower rates for the past six years. In early June the company unveiled it had converted an HGV from running on diesel to hydrogen as it explores how to decarbonise its fleet.