Ford UK powers up solar panel installation at Daventry

Ford UK has taken a major step forward in switching to only renewable energy sources with the introduction of its first major UK solar panel installation at Daventry in Northamptonshire.

Daventry is home to Ford’s UK Parts Distribution Centre as well as the Henry Ford Academy dealer training facility, and the new £1 million solar panel installation will now be able to generate between 15 and 20 per cent of the site’s total annual energy requirement going forwards.

Ford has installed 1,824 solar panels at Daventry, and together they have a maximum annual power output of 1 Gigawatt Hours – equivalent to the annual power consumed by around 370 average UK homes.

The Daventry installation represents the completion of the first of an £11 million, three-phase solar power programme being rolled out by Ford UK, with the company’s Dunton Campus in Basildon, Essex, and Halewood Plant in Merseyside also installing panels this year.

Martin Howard, Ford senior energy specialist, said: “Ford is committed to being carbon neutral across its European products, plants and processes by 2035. In the face of global warming, business has to be responsible and take the initiative in moving away from fossil fuels and decarbonising operations. Our objective is to generate renewable energy at all our major locations. This is Ford’s step in the right direction.”

Each of the three sites is playing a major role in supporting Ford UK’s transition to EVs. UK EV component supply. Electric power units (EPU) will be produced at the Halewood Plant later this year and have been developed at the Ford Dunton Campus, responsible for the company’s EV component development in Europe. EPU modules will also be shipped to vehicle assembly plants to power Ford E-Transit Custom, E-Tourneo Custom, Transit Courier, Tourneo Courier, Puma and further future EVs.

Daventry’s role is pivotal for customers. The Parts Distribution Centre will stock and deliver parts and components to the aftermarket and Ford UK dealer network as well as key export markets, while the Henry Ford Academy is upskilling Ford dealer technicians in EV maintenance and repair, as well as ensuring Ford dealer sales teams are equipped to support customers in making a seamless change to EV ownership.

Ford is working toward 100 per cent carbon-free electricity for its global operations by 2035 by procuring a mix of wind, solar power, nuclear, geothermal, biomass, and hydroelectricity. In Europe, Ford is targeting having all manufacturing operations carbon neutral by 2035.

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