Highland Spring Group has announced a partnership with SSE Energy Solutions to build a 7-megawatt solar farm that will power its plant and offer free electricity to a local kids.
The site in the Ochil Hills, set to supply up to a quarter of the electricity used at the water retailer’s Blackford production facility in Perthshire.
In addition to powering Highland Spring’s manufacturing operations and offices, the project will deliver direct community benefits, including free electricity for Blackford Primary School, which currently relies on oil central heating.
Spanning 23 acres, construction of the solar array is due to begin later this summer, with the site expected to be fully operational by early 2026.
The initiative is part of SSE’s £20 billion Net Zero Acceleration Programme Plus and marks another step in Highland Spring’s ongoing commitment to sustainability.
Simon Oldham, Managing Director at Highland Spring Group, added: “Harnessing the renewable energy transition is a key part of our journey towards a zero-carbon future.”
Stuart Batty of SSE Energy Solutions said the project was “a fantastic example of local power in action, decarbonising businesses and enhancing energy resilience for the community.”
Jim Fairlie, MSP for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, praised the idea: “I welcome this partnership between Highland Spring and SSE Energy Solutions,and the community benefit that it will bring both for the school and for the community through the EV chargers.”
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