Toyota has submitted plans for a 56-acre solar farm at its Burnaston manufacturing site in Derbyshire. The project is expected to generate 16 megawatts of electricity annually, covering approximately 19 per cent of the plant’s energy requirements.
The Burnaston facility, which employs over 2,500 staff, produces around 150,000 vehicles a year. The new solar installation would sit 150 metres south of an existing 4.1-megawatt solar farm that has operated on site since 2011.
The land earmarked for development was last used for agriculture in 2018. Toyota’s application highlights the existing screening around the site and its distance from residential areas as factors that may minimise local objections.
Burnaston forms the core of Toyota’s UK manufacturing operations, with additional facilities at Deeside in North Wales. Since opening in 1992, the site has produced more than five million vehicles and has received over £2.1 billion in investment to date. The plant applies the Toyota Production System and operates as one of Toyota’s global sustainable plants, emphasising low-carbon production and renewable energy integration.
If approved, the solar farm will expand Toyota’s capacity to source clean energy on site and support its commitment to sustainable manufacturing while maintaining local employment.
