Cheshire combines major chemical industry (Runcorn, Northwich, Crewe — Croda, INEOS, Tata Chemicals) with food production (Crewe — McVitie's; Macclesfield — major dairy) and cold chain. The combined sector mix produces dense industrial estate ideal for solar PV.
Local context — Cheshire
Cheshire industrial sites typically run 24/7 process operations with continuous electrical baseload. Self-consumption ratios of 90-95% are routine for chemical plants and food production. SP Energy Networks DNO provides grid connection. Many operators are IETF eligible (chemical SIC codes 20.x, food and drink 10.x, 11.x).
Modelled scenario — Cheshire
A 1.2 MW solar PV install on a Cheshire dairy processing facility (24/7 operation). First-year generation 1.11 GWh. Self-consumption 93%. Annual savings £247,000. Simple payback 4.2 years; 25-year IRR 25%.