Drinks company Diageo has applied for planning permission to build a solar energy farm alongside its packaging plant at Leven, according to Scottish Construction Now.

Subject to consent by Fife Council, the plans would see 12,000 solar panels capable of producing 4MW of electricity installed on vacant land at the 150-acre plant, which produces 40 million cases of spirits each year.

The solar farm is part of the drinks group’s plan to achieve net zero carbon emissions from its direct operations by 2030.

Diageo is working with energy company E.ONand Scottish company Emtec Energyto develop the plans.

Gavin Brogan, operations director at Leven Packaging Plant, said: “We have been on the journey to environmental sustainability at Leven for many years and we have made great progress, but this solar array would take us to another level, allowing us to generate our own renewable energy on-site and contributing to Diageo’s global ambition to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030.”

Three of the company’s Scotch whisky distilleries – Oban, Royal Lochnagar and Brora – have already achieved net zero carbon emissions.