Wyke Farms signs green gas deal with supermarket giant Sainsbury’s

Wyke Farms, a UK-based independent cheese and milk producer, has signed major new deal with supermarket giant Sainsbury's to supply the retailer with green gas generated at its dairy farm in Somerset.

The milk producer will supply Sainsbury's with biogas from its anaerobic digestion (AD) plant alongside its cheese and butter products.

The company said the deal would see enough green gas provided to cover 6% of Sainsbury's total gas use. It added that the move would save 16 tonnes of carbon emissions a day and result in savings equivalent to taking 5,000 cars off the road.

"We are delighted to be supplying Sainsbury's with green gas for their stores," said Richard Clothier, managing director at Wyke Farms, in a statement.

He added: "Supplying customers with gas as well as cheese, taking waste back in return, all forms part of the type of circular approach where everyone is a winner – especially the environment."

The farm is now looking to expand its green gas customer base, adding that it will "offer similar opportunities to other businesses serious about addressing their own environmental impact".

Paul Crewe, Sainsbury's head of sustainability, engineering and energy, said: "We are always looking for innovative ways to reduce our impact on the environment. Our partnership with Wyke Farms shows the commitment we have to drive down our carbon footprint in what we are sure will be an efficient and sustainable way."

The deal is the latest in a series of moves into the green gas market by Sainsbury's, which in 2014 announced a partnership with waste management giant Biffa that allowed it to effectively take its flagship Cannock store off-grid by sourcing energy direct from a local AD plant.