Scottish Water has completed a £371,000 solar energy project at the Roberton Water Treatment Works near Hawick, marking a significant step in the utility's journey toward net zero emissions by 2040.

The installation features 450 solar panels mounted on top of existing tanks, designed to generate approximately 0.21GWh of renewable electricity every year.

The scheme is expected to meet 25% of the facility's total energy requirements, with 65% of the generated power used directly on-site. Any surplus electricity will be exported to the national grid to support the wider region. Beyond the environmental benefits—estimated at a reduction of 43 tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually—the project provides long-term financial resilience against volatile grid electricity prices for at least the next 30 years.

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The project was managed by Scottish Water Horizons, the utility's commercial subsidiary, and executed by renewable energy specialists R&A Group.

Murdo MacAuley, Scottish Water Horizons project manager, said: "It is fantastic to see the completion of this solar scheme at Roberton Water Treatment Works, keeping up the momentum from previous years of rolling out renewable energy at Scottish Water sites across the country.

"By maximizing the use of clean energy at these sites, we are protecting the environment, delivering cost savings, and supporting the resilience of our essential water services."

The Roberton installation is the latest in a series of renewable retrofits in the area, following a solar project in Selkirk and a hydro scheme at Whiteadder reservoir.

Scottish Water operations team leader Mick Jones added: "In my operational area, in last 18 months alone, this is the third retrofit renewable energy project delivered on a water treatment asset, in addition to another solar project at Selkirk and a hydro project at Whiteadder reservoir.

"Together, these are predicted to deliver a combined cost reduction for my team of around £460,000 per annum. The projects will achieve those savings for at least the next 30 years and we expect the hydro investment to last significantly longer than that. The projects help us with our aspiration of having our water supplied at the lowest cost and lowest carbon impact possible."