PepsiCo UK stumps up £3.6 million for new roof mounted solar power system at Leicester DC

PepsiCo UK has announced a multi-million-pound investment in a new solar power project at its Southern Region Distribution Centre (SRDC) in Leicester.

Working with energy infrastructure specialist Ineco Energy, the project will see solar panels installed across 30,000 square metres of roof space, equivalent to around four football pitches. Once complete, the panels are expected to generate 100% of the energy needed to power the logistics centre over the course of a year.

The 3.56 MWp solar power system is expected to generate around 2.84 GWh of renewable electricity each year, enough to power approximately 1,000 UK homes for a year. Any surplus electricity will go towards powering the Walkers crisps manufacturing plant, one of the world’s largest crisp factories, located next door to the distribution centre.

The £3.6 million solar panel installation follows a £14 million investment to upgrade the distribution centre in 2021. The DC plays a key part in PepsiCo’s UK supply chain, employing 240 people and distributing products made at the company’s six factories across the country.

Construction of the solar power system is underway, with installation expected to be by completed by September.

Andy Smethurst, UK Warehousing & Logistics Director at PepsiCo, says: “Leicester is already home to one of the world’s largest crisp factories, and now we’re delivering one of the most complex solar power systems, right here in the East Midlands. It’s a major milestone for PepsiCo UK and shows how we’re continuing to find new ways to power our sites and operate more sustainably.”

Angus Rose, Director at Ineco Energy, says: “Ineco is incredibly proud to be delivering this flagship solar project for PepsiCo. Once operational, it will be one of the largest rooftop systems of its kind in the UK food manufacturing sector, generating the same amount of electricity that the SRDC uses in a full year.”

“This project has required a collaborative and highly technical approach, and we’re delighted to now be moving into the construction phase. We look forward to continuing our strong relationship with the PepsiCo team.”

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

Green retail will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.