Suntory Beverage & Food Great Britain & Ireland (SBF GB&I) has dipped its toes into the future with a £6 million bet on a new power set‑up for its Coleford plant—aiming to ditch the old gas‑turbine and give the factory a greener, more dependable juice supply.
The plant is currently fed by a modest 11 kilovolt (kV) line that relies on the gas turbine. By upgrading to a powerful 33 kV connection, SBF GB&I can tap into renewable electricity for the first time, cutting out a major chunk of fossil‑fuel usage.
The new 33 kV line will be up and running in 2026, bringing in renewable power that’s smoother, cheaper, and more stable.
It will stop the quarterly maintenance outages that need the gas turbine for backup, making the plant a rock‑solid operation.
With the new connection SBF GB&I expects a 58% drop in Scope 1 emissions—four years ahead of its 2030 target of cutting these emissions by 50%.
This frees up resources to go after more green projects like electrifying steam systems, installing heat pumps, and slapping solar panels on the roof.
Karl Ottomar, Supply Chain Director, summed it up:
“This £6 million investment is a massive leap toward a smaller carbon footprint. It accelerates our emissions reductions and sets the stage for even bigger sustainability initiatives.”
In 2019 SBF GB&I set Science‑Based Targets: a 30% cut in Scope 3 emissions by 2030 and a net‑zero goal by 2050 (or sooner).
The new power project will be vetted by a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to keep local communities and the environment happy.
– Planning application submitted
– Await approval
– Roll out the new model in 2026
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