Toyota and British Gas have announced a sustainable energy generation initiative at Toyota’s Burnaston car plant in Derbyshire, UK.
The solar panel system comprises 17,000 solar panels capable of generating enough electricity to manufacture 7,000 cars a year.
Toyota say that the panels, which cost over £10 million ($16 million, €11.2 million) and cover 90,000 m2, will save 2,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions from the complex each year. The Burnaston factory also makes the Toyota Auris Hybrid, the first volume production hybrid car to be built in Europe.
British Gas paid for the panels under a UK Government scheme designed to improve the up-take up of solar power generation systems. They will claim the feed-in tariff while Toyota will benefit from free electricity.
Toyota were one of the first car manufacturers to produce a volume petrol and electric powered hybrid car with the Prius model. They are also planning to produce a fully electric SUV as part of a collaborative project with Tesla, a sports car manufacturer.
