Cornish Orchards cider production is now powered by 100% renewable energy sources, reducing carbon by up to 94% without any offsetting.
Cornish Orchards has announced – in time for World Cider Day – that it has hit a major sustainability milestone. The cider farm in Duloe, Cornwall, has completely ditched fossil fuels for its energy use, switching to a cutting-edge heat pump system, powered by solar electricity. These developments mean the site now runs entirely on renewable energy sources, reducing its future emissions by up to 94%.
Unlike many brands, Cornish Orchards has refused to use offsetting as a shortcut to claiming carbon reduction.
Sustainability is about far more than carbon for the innovative cider brand. The Cornish Orchards team are also working to help revive Cornish nature through investing in local projects designed to deliver long-term ecosystem value. So far on their farm, they have planted four acres of woodland (capturing 7 tonnes of CO₂ a year), with another 21 acres planned. They have created a wetland to clean water and provide a new habitat for different species. They have built boxes for the bees and houses for the Swallows they share the farm with, and from where the brand gets its distinctive logo; making the Cornish Orchards Farm not just fully powered by renewable sources, but a haven for nature.
Looking beyond their farm, Cornish Orchards has become Partners in Pollination with the Cornwall Wildlife Trust as one of its Reserve Guardians, supporting the work across the Trust’s nature reserves to boost pollinator populations. This ongoing collaboration brings expert ecological guidance to Cornish Orchards’ sustainability journey, shaping its biodiversity strategy, ensuring that every action taken on the farm benefits the local environment and native species.
To achieve renewable production the main project involved installing a combined air and water heat pump system to replace the diesel boiler used to generate hot water. The heat pump is powered by electricity that is bought directly from a solar farm in Somerset. This covers the vast majority of the 94% reduction in emissions. To remove any remaining use of fossil fuels they switched the small amount of diesel used for some farm equipment and boosting heat in colder months to HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) – a plant-based biofuel.
Chris Newton, Head Cider Maker at Cornish Orchards, said: “When making our cider the things we prioritise most are quality and authenticity. We aim to make the best tasting cider with quality ingredients that our drinkers can trust. For me this goes hand in hand with sustainability; true quality should transcend the product itself including the positive impact it can have to the planet. We take an honest approach with everything we do; we do not use any apple concentrate when making our cider, and now we don’t use any fossil fuels either! Our founder’s ethos was, “doing simple things, to natural ingredients in a way that is kind to the environment” and that still stands true today.”
Sam Goodenough, Sustainability Manager, at Asahi UK said: “We are delighted to demonstrate how a small rural farm can show innovative leadership in renewable technology and lead the way on sustainability. The team have worked hard over the years to make the farm a haven for nature, from woodland planting to organic certification at the site, and now we have applied that same mindset to our cider making. We’ve learnt a lot on the journey, and we are excited to be taking this new leap forward in sustainable cider production.”
