Waitrose looks to open first biomass-powered store in Isle of Wight

A spokesperson for Waitrose told GreenWise that subject to planning permission, the East Cowes shop would be "the first Waitrose fully powered by biomass". 

In another first, the biomass boiler will be powered by wood chip sourced from a number of managed woodlands on the Isle of Wight. "This will be a trial for Waitrose," the spokesperson commented. "The eco vision is for a Waitrose store that requires no electricity or gas from the grid for its operation, powered by wood chip from managed sources, which provides income and employment for local producers.The carbon footprint of the store will be better than zero with a further net saving of around 1900 tons of CO2 per annum," he said.

As well as powering the store, the biomass scheme will have capacity to provide heating for some of the surrounding development, Waitrose said. The food outlet – the first Waitrose on the Isle of Wight – is part of a £250 million scheme to regenerate the former industrial town that sits across the River Medina from the historic sailing town of Cowes. One development that could benefit from the scheme is a new medical centre due to be constructed near the Waitrose store. However, it is not clear if the boiler would have the capacity to provide renewable energy for 180 new homes set to be built close to the shop. 

The Isle of Wight Council confirmed a planning application has been submitted for the Waitrose biomass scheme, but said it was "not active" because it had "requested more information from the developers" before putting it to consultation. 

All 225 existing Waitrose stores source their electricity from green energy through an agreement with EDF Energy, but the company and its parent the John Lewis Partnership are looking increasingly at on-site renewables as part of the solution.

A priority of the company is to incorporate renewable energy into new building design and this week it will open a new Waitrose in Wimborne that sources its energy from a biofuel-powered generator. Other renewable schemes already being used by the retailer include wind turbines at its farm on the Leckford Estate in Hampshire and a store in Rickmansworth powered by its tomato suppliers. Meanwhile, an off-grid store is also being planned in Norfolk.

Buildings and energy account for 65 per cent of the John Lewis Partnership’s carbon emissions and the company aims to double in size over the next decade. It has pledged to reduce its carbon emissions by 20 per cent by 2020 and halve the impact of its refrigeration and cooling direct emissions (CO2 e emissions tonnes) by 2012.

"We are actively pursuing the possibility of further site-based energy production from fully renewable sources," the company said.

The East Cowes Waitrose is set to open in October.