Sunderland, UK – Water voles, amphibians, bats, badgers and breeding birds of prey might not be what you’d expect to see at a major industrial hub.
But all those animals and a few more can be found at Nissan Sunderland Plant following a rewilding project aimed at boosting biodiversity.
Andy Barker, Engineering Manager at the plant, said the rewilding has turned an area of uninhabited marshland into a thriving habitat for wildlife.
He said: “We’re passionate about sustainability so it is fantastic to be able to create an area for wildlife to thrive.
“We’ve carried out the rewilding close to where we built our first wind farm nearly 20 years ago and near our second solar farm, so this part of the plant has been the focus of our sustainability drive.
“It’s fantastic to continue that journey and we’ve been amazed at how quickly and how many of the various animals have taken up residence.”
The rewilding was carried out by the plant’s Engineering team in partnership with solar farm developer Atrato Partners Ltd and took just over a year to complete.
As part of the activity, teams removed invasive shrubs and revitalised the habitat, as well as building a viewing hide.
Animals spotted in the area so far include owls, various species of bats and birds including herring gull, buzzards and kestrels as well as badgers, deer and great crested newts.
A wide variety of flora has started to develop in the area including bee orchids, white clover, cows slips and garden lupin.
Andy added: “The second solar farm project allowed us to transform the existing marshland by adding a further pond and a maintained new grassland. It was about taking a holistic approach that included eco diversity as well as renewable energy.”
With its wind and solar farms, Nissan Sunderland Plant can now generate 20% of the plant’s electricity from renewable sources.
Nissan’s EV36Zero blueprint will transform Sunderland Plant into a flagship EV hub, bringing together electric vehicles, renewable energy and battery production.
Under its global Ambition 2030 strategy, Nissan aims to become a truly sustainable company, driving towards a cleaner, safer, and more inclusive world. The vision supports Nissan’s goal to be carbon neutral across the life cycle of its products by fiscal year 2050.
