Lidl Unveils Ireland’s First Net-Zero Supermarket

The project involved an investment of over €10 million and has created 32 new permanent jobs in the local area, ESM Magazine reports.

The move demonstrates how large-scale businesses can deliver on national climate commitments while enhancing local communities, Lidl Ireland noted.

The construction of the store commenced in February, following the temporary closure of the Lidl Maynooth store to facilitate transformational work.

The store was inaugurated on 6 November with Ireland’s Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, Darragh O’Brien TD, in attendance to cut the ribbon and officially open the store.

Robert Ryan, CEO of Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland, stated, “As Ireland’s largest commercial owner of solar panels, we are proud to be leading the decarbonising of the retail sector and setting a new benchmark for energy-efficient store design.

“More than just a supermarket, our Maynooth store will act as a test bed for sustainable innovations, enabling us to trial, refine and scale technologies that deliver meaningful energy and carbon savings across our entire network.

“Above all, this store empowers our customers to make more sustainable choices in their everyday lives. Our ambition is clear: when customers shop at our net-zero-energy Maynooth store, they can do so knowing it has zero net impact on climate change.”

A Sustainable Approach

Designed in partnership with the Irish Green Building Council and combining state-of-the-art sustainable construction techniques and design, Lidl Maynooth represents the pinnacle of smart engineering, with the new store being the first supermarket in Ireland to aim for BREEAM Outstanding standards.

The retailer prioritised renewable features and the use of sustainable materials, including stone salvaged from the original Maynooth store, concrete made from 50% recycled materials, sustainable glulam timber roof beams, and lower-embodied-carbon roof and wall panels.

The new store generates all of its operational energy from on-site renewable sources. It has a 575 kWp solar panel system installed across the roof and car park – the equivalent of 13 tennis courts – to power the building, and offset the embodied carbon from its construction through renewable energy generation.

The store interior features new-generation energy-efficient refrigeration systems that recycle waste heat to warm the store through mechanical heat recovery.

The outlet will help save enough energy to power over 40 typical Irish households each year, and the equivalent carbon savings of avoiding 1,500 flights from Ireland to Spain annually.

The store is also a significant milestone in Lidl’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 across its entire supply chain.

The discounter has pledged to reduce carbon emissions by 46% in operational emissions by 2030.