Manchester City has announced plans to make its training facility, the City Football Academy, one of the largest producers of renewable energy in world football.

The current Premier League Champions are seeking planning approval from Manchester City Council for the installation of 10,887 solar panels which will generate up to 4.39 MWh of renewable energy every year.

While the self-supplied energy will completely offset the City Football Academy’s annual usage, the power will be shared with the Etihad Stadium.

In doing so, the project forms a key part of the Club’s efforts to be carbon net zero by 2030.

More than 3,000 panels will be located on the roof of the 7,000-capacity Joie Stadium, which is home to Manchester City Women, while a further 3,942 will be located on the roofs of other facilities on site such as the First Team and Academy Building.

An additional 3,830 panels will be installed on frames over footpaths and pitch-side areas of the City Football Academy.

Subject to planning approval, the panels will be fully operational by the end of 2024, and they will be installed and managed by Manchester-based renewable energy developer, Clearvolt.

The project builds on Manchester City’s long-standing commitment to using clean energy, with the Club purchasing 100% renewable electricity under a power agreement for the past eight years.

Commenting on the announcement, the Club’s Director of Sustainability, Pete Bradshaw, said:

“It is with great excitement that we can reveal our plans to completely offset the power required to run the day-to-day operations of the City Football Academy, by becoming one of football’s largest producers of self-supplied, renewable energy.

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