Sainsbury’s has ramped up its usage of renewable energy with the completion and commissioning of its Pines Burn Wind Farm in the Scottish Borders.

The supermarket giant has committed to purchasing 100% of the renewable energy it produces over the next 15 years.

Under construction since July 2022, the new wind farm features seven new turbines and adds 33.6 megawatts (MW) of new electrical capacity to the power grid.

The turbines are expected to produce around 92,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity every year the equivalent to approximately 8% of Sainsbury’s annual energy usage, or 3 million charging sessions at the grocer’s ultra-rapid EV charging service, Smart Charge.

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The new energy source will help boost the grocery retailer’s wider sustainability strategy Plan for Better.

Sainsbury’s EV director of property, procurement and EV ventures Patrick Dunne said: “We’re very proud to be celebrating our eighth wind farm in Scotland following the completion of Longhill Burn in West Lothian last autumn. A state-of-the-art, sustainable source of new wind power, Pines Burn Wind Farm is helping us take another fantastic step towards reducing our reliance on carbon.

“Sainsbury’s was the first UK retailer to start purchasing wind energy directly to power our business back in 2008. Our commitment to the future of Pines Burn, which both enabled its construction and guarantees its long-term viability, builds on our proven track record of investing in sustainable technologies.”

The new site follows the completion of its Longhill Burn Wind Farm last October, which was estimated to at that point provide up to a third of Sainsbury’s electricity requirements.