Leading natural source water producer Highland Spring Group, in partnership with clean energy company SSE Energy Solutions, has announced the launch of a new 7-megawatt solar farm in Scotland.

Located in the Ochil Hills, Perthshire, the 23-acre project is designed to supply up to a quarter of the electricity needs for Highland Spring Group's main manufacturing site and offices in nearby Blackford. Construction is scheduled to commence in Summer 2025, with the solar farm expected to be fully operational by early 2026. SSE Energy Solutions has been appointed to manage the installation and ongoing operation of the solar site on behalf of Highland Spring Group.

Beyond powering the bottling plant, the project incorporates tangible benefits for the local community. These include a design sensitive to minimising visual impact, the provision of a free-of-charge electricity supply to Blackford Primary School, and the installation of rapid Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers for community use.

This initiative is part of Highland Spring Group's accelerated business decarbonisation roadmap. The company, which was one of the first in the UK to have its net-zero target approved by the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) under the Net-Zero Standard, recently achieved a B score from the Climate Disclosure Project (CDP) for its climate change mitigation efforts.

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Jim Fairlie MSP for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire welcomed the project: "Highland Spring are an important local employer who have done a power of work in recent years to decarbonise. I welcome this partnership between Highland Spring and SSE, and the community benefit that it will bring both for the school and with the community use EV chargers."

Simon Oldham, Managing Director Highland Spring Group, said: "Environmental and social responsibility have always been at the heart of our purpose and this project not only positively supports our sustainability strategy but our good neighbour programme too. Harnessing the renewable energy transition is a key part of our journey towards a zero-carbon future, and we are delighted to have collaborated with SSE to bring this solar site to life."

Stuart Batty, Senior Project Development Manager at SSE Energy Solutions, stated: "This partnership with Highland Spring marks a key step in Scotland's renewable energy journey. By uniting our expertise with Highland Spring's sustainable leadership, the 7MW solar project is a fantastic example of local power in action, decarbonising businesses and enhancing energy resilience for the community."

Margaret McMillan, Head Teacher at Blackford Primary School, commented: "The solar farm is a major development for the local community and on behalf of the entire school I am delighted that we will benefit in a tangible way from Highland Spring's focus on renewable, sustainable energy."

Councillor Liz Barrett, Perth and Kinross Council's Climate Change and Sustainability Vice-Convener, added: "The impact of climate change means we all need to consider renewable sources wherever we can as the way forward for energy generation. This is a major project for the Blackford area and I warmly welcome the valuable support to local life that Highland Spring and SSE will provide through the solar farm both in EV chargers for community use and significantly, a free electricity supply for Blackford Primary School."