PepsiCo Installs Electric Ovens in £58 Million Leicester Upgrade to Cut Emissions

PepsiCo is turning up the heat differently by ditching gas for green power. At its Leicester manufacturing facility, the global food and beverage titan has installed three electric ovens as part of a sweeping £58 million modernisation effort to slash greenhouse gas emissions and boost sustainability. Two ovens are brand-new electric models, while a third has been retrofitted, converted from gas to electric. All three are powered entirely by renewable electricity.

The outcome? A projected 1,500-tonne drop in annual GHG emissions at the site. But that’s not all. The site has expanded production capacity, churning out snack favourites like Wotsits, Monster Munch, Chipsticks, and Frazzles, alongside Cheetos. By consolidating these production lines in Leicester, PepsiCo has also managed to cut transport-related emissions by 915 tonnes annually across its UK operations.

Leicester isn’t the only site getting a green facelift. This move follows a string of sustainability upgrades across PepsiCo’s entire UK manufacturing network. Last year, the Doritos line in Coventry underwent an energy overhaul, reducing its annual emissions by 700 tonnes. Over in Brigg, where Pipers Crisps are made, the company installed energy-efficient fryers, contributing further to its climate goals.

PepsiCo UK and Ireland’s manufacturing director, Richard Clarke, said: “With a brand-new production line, better facilities for our teams, and now these more sustainable ovens, we’ve been able to transform our home in Leicester and secure its future growth.”

Since 2020, PepsiCo has poured £140 million into its UK operations, which span six production sites. This forms part of its ambitious global net-zero strategy, which aims for net-zero emissions across its value chain by 2040. The interim goals are bold: cut Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 75%, and Scope 3 by 40% by 2030, using 2015 as the baseline.

As of 2023, progress is underway. According to PepsiCo’s latest ESG report:

• Scope 1 and 2 emissions are down by 33%

• Scope 3 emissions have seen a modest 1% decrease

Beyond factories and fryers, PepsiCo is getting its hands dirty—literally—with regenerative agriculture. The company recently unveiled a new initiative in Latin America aimed at helping farmers reduce their environmental footprint.

In partnership with Yara, a leading fertiliser company, PepsiCo supports around 20 farmers across 700 hectares of potato fields in Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Argentina. These farmers will transition from conventional, natural gas-based fertilisers to low-carbon alternatives made from carbon-captured ammonia or 100% clean energy.

Depending on the fertiliser type, carbon footprints could be slashed by 40% to 60% per farm. And this is just the beginning. PepsiCo plans to scale this initiative across the region, extending it to crops like corn, wheat, oats, coconuts, and bananas—all while working toward its broader goal of implementing regenerative practices across 7 million acres by 2030, effectively covering its entire global agricultural footprint.