Dairy co-operative Dale Farm (www.dalefarm.co.uk) has launched the largest ‘self-consumption’ solar farm in Northern Ireland. The 37-acre solar farm is now powering its cheddar cheese plant in Cookstown (County Tyrone).

Designed and delivered in partnership with Dublin company CES Energy, the solar farm will reduce Dale Farm’s carbon footprint by 20% and deliver major savings in energy costs.

Chris McAlinden, group operations director, said: “Dale Farm is committed to leading the way in sustainability, with
a strategy that sees us constantly assessing our processes and facilities to identify how we can reduce our carbon footprint and increase our efficiency.

"We are proud to have developed a ‘green energy’ solution that positions our operations at the vanguard of sustainability — not just in dairy in Northern Ireland, but world-wide.”

Tom Marren, chief executive of CES Energy, said: “For companies like Dale Farm, maximising sustainability is key to leading the way in social responsibility.

"At the same time, it makes business sense, as retailers are strengthening their demands on producers and suppliers like Dale Farm, calling for them to be carbon-neutral.