Perthshire company unveils £3m net zero project

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A well-known Perthshire meat production company has installed a £3million renewable energy system on its land near Dunning.Butcher and household meat brand Simon Howie has unveiled a 104m high wind turbine and 3800 solar panels, described as a major step forward on the company’s path to net zero.The 2.3MW wind turbine and 2.1MW solar array was switched on yesterday (Monday) after years of planning and months of installation and testing.Weather allowing, it’s forecasted to produce over 120% of the energy the business needs purely from Scottish sun and wind – reducing its carbon emissions by over 500 tonnes per year.It comes just in time for the businesses peak operating months, October – February, which sees the company deliver on the increased demand for Christmas and then straight into haggis season in the run up to Burns Night.Simon Howie, owner of Simon Howie Group said: “After two years of planning it’s wonderful to see our renewable energy system now live.“Getting the wind turbine and solar panels operational has been a logistical challenge but will reap rewards both for us as a business but also for our customers and consumers as it allows us to do all we can to protect them from energy-related price hikes.“We take our responsibilities to the planet very seriously.

The climate emergency is real and as one of Scotland’s biggest food manufacturers we are committed to a more sustainable future.

We hope that by showcasing the environmental and commercial benefits of renewable energy, we can encourage other food and drink manufacturers to consider how they can consider a more responsible future.”As well as operating more sustainably the company now hires over 130 staff an increase of over 20 from this time last year.The