Scottish Leather Group (SLG) has switched on a new Solar PV array at its state-of-the-art production facility in Bridge of Weir, Scotland, further underscoring its leadership in the sustainable production of leather for the global automotive, aviation, bus, coach, rail, furniture, and consumer goods sectors.
Covering an area of 33,000m2, equal to more than three football pitches, the 4,348-panel farm can generate up to 3.0 MW of power in total – enough to power 750 homes per year – delivering an average of 24 per cent of its electrical demands over the course of the year. The PV array will provide private wire, self-generated electrical energy for all SLG companies, including Bridge of Weir Leather and Muirhead, helping to reduce their environmental impact.
Bridge of Weir Leather, a leading supplier of high-performance leather to the global automotive industry, celebrates its 120th anniversary in 2025. With a rich heritage in leather manufacturing, the company continues to evolve to ensure its production processes meet the highest environmental standards.
Muirhead, founded in 1840, marks its 185th anniversary in 2025. A leader in the provision of leather solutions for aviation and passenger transport, Muirhead has built a reputation for quality, durability, and sustainability. Despite its long history, the company remains future-focused, continually refining its manufacturing processes and investing in innovative solutions to reduce its carbon footprint.
These milestones highlight the enduring legacy of SLG and its subsidiaries, which are steeped in heritage, yet driven by a forward-thinking approach to sustainability and responsible manufacturing. The installation is just the latest example of SLG’s pioneering circular approach.
Over the last two decades, it has made multi-million-pound investments aimed at further increasing its leadership in sustainable leather production, with forward-thinking recent initiatives such as BioPRO® Foam, a more environmentally sustainable alternative to traditional seat foams, launched in April by Muirhead.
Located south of SLG’s Thermal Energy Plant (TEP), the new Solar PV array marks another step forward in the group’s power strategy, moving the business to self-generated, zero-impact, clean on-site energy. SLG’s manufacturing of leather is set to be net zero (Scope 1 and 2) by the end of 2025, achieving a target originally set in 2018 – and some twenty years ahead of Scotland’s net-zero ambitions.
Dr Warren Bowden, Head of Innovation and Sustainability at Scottish Leather Group, said: “Over the last two decades, Scottish Leather Group has continuously invested in strategic initiatives designed to optimise and improve the sustainability and circularity of our leather production. With our new Solar PV array, we are taking a step forward in the self-generation of on-site clean power, removing grid reliance, which further supports us as we rapidly accelerate towards achieving our target of 100% zero greenhouse gas emissions for our operations.”
SLG produces the world’s lowest carbon intensity leather and continues to have the industry’s lowest Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) impact, with an independently verified carbon footprint of just 8kg CO2e/m2 on average, helping its customers, from the automotive industry to aviation and other passenger transport sectors reduce their carbon impact on the planet without offsetting.
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