Work has commenced on a major £2.4 million renewables project at Scottish Water's head office in Stepps, which is set to become home to one of the largest solar carports in the country.

The scheme will see 2,250 bifacial solar panels installed at the site. These panels are designed to soak up sunlight from both sides and will provide a covered car parking area that simultaneously produces green energy.

Once completed, the panels will generate around 1MW of renewable energy annually, saving 160 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent a year. This amount is the equivalent of removing 89 return flights from Glasgow to New York. The project is expected to be complete by summer 2026.

-- Advertisement --

Scottish Water Chief Executive Alex Plant said: "This is a really exciting project for Scottish Water and highlights our commitment to achieving our net zero targets by 2040. Choosing to deliver our first solar carport scheme at our head office is a clear statement of our intent."

Keliann Arthur, Scottish Water Horizons project manager, confirmed the scheme will provide 34% of the energy needed to operate the office, marking a "very significant step in our journey towards net zero."

The project is being led by Scottish Water Horizons, the utility's commercial subsidiary, and is being delivered by OCS. This new carport is the latest in over 92 solar schemes already in place across Scottish Water sites, which collectively generate around 28.7GWh of green energy a year.