Leading food convenience retailer and wholesaler Musgrave NI has announced a £3m investment in their solar project for sites across Northern Ireland.

The company has commenced work on seven SuperValu and Centra stores as well as Musgrave MarketPlace branches in Belfast and Derry-Londonderry, with the aim of reducing energy consumption in line with their sustainability strategy, 'Growing Sustainability Every Day'.

This initial phase of Musgrave's Solar PV rollout is expected to be completed by the end of 2024 with subsequent phases creating more investment in sustainable energy throughout 2025 and beyond.

Expectations are that the solar panels will reduce carbon emissions by saving a predicted 152 tonnes of CO2 across the nine sites each year.

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"Across the Musgrave Group, we have a strong commitment to carry out our business in the most sustainable way and are proud of our achievements so far – this project is another step on that journey," said Trevor Magill, Managing Director for Musgrave in Northern Ireland.

"We have established a set of stretching and ambitious ESG goals including our ambition to be Net Zero in our own operations by 2040 and together, with our retail partners, suppliers and customers, we will ensure we do all we can to meet that target."

The locations involved in phase one of the project are: SuperValu, Portstewart; SuperValu, Irvinestown; SuperValu, Fintona; SuperValu, Newcastle; SuperValu, Portglenone; SuperValu, Limavady; Centra, Mallusk; Musgrave MarketPlace, Belfast; Musgrave MarketPlace, Derry-Londonderry.

Speaking on behalf of Solmatix, Managing Director, Neville Bell, said: "We are delighted to partner with Musgrave on this significant solar initiative, bringing clean energy to key locations across Northern Ireland.

"This project highlights Musgrave’s forward-thinking approach to sustainability, and we're proud to play a part in reducing their carbon footprint and supporting their journey toward Net Zero.

"Solar energy is one of the most effective ways to make a meaningful environmental impact, and together with Musgrave, we are helping to shape a greener, more sustainable future for our communities."