Scottish Leather Group (SLG), which supplies auto makers including JLR, Polestar and Aston Martin, has switched on a new solar photovoltaic (PV) array at its production facility in Bridge of Weir, Scotland.
Covering an area of 33,000m2, equal to more than three soccer pitches, the 4,348-panel farm can generate up to 3MW of power in total – enough to power 750 homes per year – delivering an average of 24% of the company’s electrical demands over the course of the year. The PV array will provide private wire, self-generated electrical energy for all SLG companies, including Bridge of Weir Leather and Muirhead.
Located south of SLG’s Thermal Energy Plant, the new solar PV array enables the business to use self-generated, zero-impact, clean energy produced on-site. As a result, SLG’s leather manufacturing operations are set to reach net zero (Scope 1 and 2) by the end of 2025, meeting a target first set in 2018 – around 20 years ahead of Scotland’s net zero ambitions.
Dr Warren Bowden, head of innovation and sustainability at Scottish Leather Group, said, “Over the last two decades, Scottish Leather Group has continuously invested in strategic initiatives designed to optimize and improve the sustainability and circularity of our leather production. With our new solar PV array, we are taking a step forward in the self-generation of on-site clean power, removing grid reliance, which further supports us as we rapidly accelerate toward achieving our target of 100% zero greenhouse gas emissions for our operations.”
SLG says it produces the world’s lowest carbon-intensity leather and continues to have the industry’s lowest lifecycle assessment impact, with an independently verified carbon footprint of just 8kg CO2e/m2 on average.
This year, Bridge of Weir Leather celebrates its 120th anniversary and Muirhead celebrates its 85th.
In related news, Bridge of Weir Leather reveals car interior concept for neurodivergent individuals
