Cummins announced that it has opened a new state-of-the-art solar farm to power its Daventry engine plant on Royal Oak Way South.

The 20,000m² solar farm has the capacity to generate 1.8 megawatts of renewable energy, equivalent to powering 746 domestic properties for a year. The more than £2.9m investment will help to reduce Cummins’ carbon footprint. The Daventry site has already made significant progress in cutting emissions, achieving a 30% reduction even before the solar array became operational.

Roy Free, Cummins Daventry Plant Manager, said: “We are very excited about the opening of our new solar farm at the Cummins Daventry plant. The installation process was meticulously planned and executed by the facilities team, led by Brian Chaplin the Daventry Facilities Manager. With the new solar farm in operation, we are confident that we will make a further significant impact on reducing our carbon footprint and ensuring a brighter future for generations to come”.

Furthermore, it aims to reduce emissions by an additional 5.5%, aligning with the Cummins Power Systems Business Unit’s 2030 target for greenhouse gas emissions reduction. This effort plays a vital role in the overarching objective of reducing total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from facilities and operations by 50% by the year 2030.

Since 2021, the Cummins Daventry plant has been operating a generator set recovery system to export test voltages and frequencies back to the grid. As of August this year, the Cummins Daventry plant had already recovered 1,000,000KW/h of energy through this system. The newly opened solar farm will increase the amount returned over the coming months. The two projects combined are going to reduce the electricity imported into the Daventry site by around 25%.

The Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire, James Saunders Watson and the Mayor of Daventry, Councillor Ted Nicholl, opened the new solar farm in a ceremony that was also attended by the and Cummins Daventry Plant Manager, Roy Free.

Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire, James Saunders Watson said of the new solar farm: “It was a pleasure to be invited to Cummins’ Solar Farm launch event and to see the incredibly innovative technology first-hand. This major Daventry employer is a pioneer in their field and their commitment to sustainable power technology is so important.”

The Mayor of Daventry, Councillor Ted Nicholl added: “It was great to understand the farm better and meet the team who have worked tirelessly to deliver the low-carbon energy project. Thank you to everyone for their time and for welcoming us so warmly. We want to congratulate Cummins on their 50th Anniversary in Daventry and look forward to following their updates over the next 50 years.”

Cummins’ Destination Zero strategy – to decarbonise its products is part of the framework of Cummins’ broader PLANET 2050 environmental sustainability plan. This includes a focus on improving the communities the company operates in and using natural resources in the most responsible way.

The Cummins Daventry Plant on Royal Oak Way South is one of Cummins’ many sites across the UK, employing over 1100 people. The plant plays a significant role in Cummins’ global operations. Specialising in the production of advanced power generation sets, and high-horsepower engines the Daventry plant contributes to Cummins’ commitment to delivering innovative and sustainable solutions for a wide range of industries, including rail, mining, and beyond.

In 2021 Cummins opened a new state of the art logistics hub in Apex Park, Daventry, supporting its operations across the UK. The facility was awarded a BREEAM Outstanding rating, a sustainability assessment ranking it in the top 1% of UK non-domestic buildings. Through its dedication to quality and innovation, the Daventry sites exemplify Cummins’ mission to power a more prosperous world.

Cummins is an international company that manufactures, designs, services, and distributes engines, power generation products and filtration products. Its products are used in equipment and vehicles worldwide. It employs 73,600 worldwide and generated $28.1 billion in revenue last year.

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