Thursday November 5 2026
Swindon & Wiltshire News
One of Britain’s biggest beverage manufacturing sites is set to become home to the UK’s largest solar installation on a single continuous roof, in a landmark 21.5MWp renewable energy programme spanning four factories.
The 8.5MWp system at Refresco’s Bridgwater plant will use more than 18,000 high-efficiency solar modules and is expected to generate around 7.5GWh of renewable electricity each year – enough to meet approximately 17 per cent of the site’s annual power demand.
Once complete, it is expected to become the country’s largest solar PV system on a single continuous roof, turning industrial roof space into a major source of onsite clean energy.
The Somerset installation is the centrepiece of a wider 21.5MWp rollout across four Refresco UK manufacturing facilities, one of the largest commercial and industrial solar deployments underway in Britain. The programme is designed to cut the company’s reliance on grid electricity, reduce manufacturing emissions and strengthen long-term energy resilience.
Refresco appointed commercial solar specialist GB NRG after a competitive procurement process involving 12 providers. GB NRG will develop, design, engineer and deliver the four-site programme, and also took the portfolio to the funding market on Refresco’s behalf.
Zestec Renewable Energy was selected to fund and manage the infrastructure over the long term. The projects will be delivered through long-term Power Purchase Agreements backed by Octopus Energy Generation managed funds, allowing Refresco to buy the electricity generated onsite without funding the upfront capital cost.
Installation at Bridgwater is already well underway – a complex task on a live, 24/7 production site. GB NRG says it has worked closely with Refresco to maintain uninterrupted manufacturing, protect roof integrity and meet stringent health, safety and performance standards throughout construction.
James Logan, managing director of Refresco UK, said reducing environmental impact was central to the company’s long-term strategy, alongside maintaining the scale, efficiency and reliability its customers expect.
“This programme will enable us to generate more renewable electricity directly at our production facilities, reduce our reliance on grid-supplied electricity and strengthen the long-term resilience of our operations,” he said. “By reducing emissions from our manufacturing activities, we can also support our customers in achieving their own sustainability objectives.”
Jon Antoniou, founder and chief executive of GB NRG, described the scheme as a “genuinely landmark” solar programme. “An 8.5MWp installation on a single roof is an exceptional project in its own right, and across the four sites we expect to deliver 21.5MWp of onsite solar generation,” he said.
Toby Smith, chief operating officer at Zestec, said large-scale rooftop solar gives major energy users a way to make productive use of existing roof space, reduce grid dependence and advance sustainability goals without upfront capital investment.
The project underlines Bridgwater’s growing role in the UK’s clean-energy build-out, while demonstrating how manufacturers can convert unused rooftops into significant power-generating assets.
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