The Ballymena builder is expected to start work in the first quarter of 2012 on the £45m giant Tesco superstore opposite Salford City Shopping Centre.

The contractor, which also operates from a base in Milton Keynes, recently built Tesco’s first green store in Ireland, picking up a Tesco Blue Award  – its top building accolade for delivering the 26-week contract six weeks early.

Patton also completed its first English design and build timber frame environmental Tesco store in Berwick-upon-Tweed last year, worth around £5m.

The proposed store in Pendleton will follow the Tesco Environmental Store Format.

It will be built using a glulam timber frame with a total building performance target of BREEAM very good.

Roof lights will allow more natural daylight into the store and a combined heat and power plant will generate electricity and make use of the waste heat.

The plant runs on naturally produced fuel from sustainable sources such as recycled vegetable oil. The CHP plant alone will reduce the carbon footprint of the store by a third.

The 24-hour superstore will be built above extensive underground parking boasting the first LED lighting at any store in the UK.

Matthew Magee, corporate affairs manager for Tesco, said: “We’re really pleased that we can now press ahead with an exciting new store for Pendleton.”