EDF launches significant UK solar-plus-storage crossbreed hunt

• French utility EDF is introducing a major solar-plus-battery storage hybrid effort in England and Wales as part of strategies to double its set up sustainable base.

Nonetheless EDF will certainly not be alone, with an ex-state possessed eco-friendly investment fund having additionally revealed plans to bring forward at least 1GW of subsidy-free solar farms in the UK, most of which are to be established utilizing trackers and also bifacial panels.

EDF Renewables' UK department announced today that it has employed the aid of Welsh programmer Octo Energy to recognize as well as provide 200MW worth of co-located solar-plus-storage projects throughout England as well as Wales.

Under the partnership, Octo will certainly recognize possible projects for EDF to supply, working together with landowners and also farmers particularly.

Mark Vyvyan-Robinson, supervisor of solar as well as onshore wind development at EDF Renewables, said the utility was "consistently looking at innovative means to buy solar" while increasing its existing portfolio of sites in the UK, which stands at around 1GW, the firm stated.

"These projects will certainly allow us to contribute to the UK's environment-friendly economic healing from COVID-19 as well as assist the country reach its web zero targets," he stated.

The wider EDF Group has the recognized aim of operating a 50GW renewables profile by 2030 together with one more target of ending up being Europe's market leader in energy storage with an extra 10GW of storage space by 2035.

And also the company has actually had a successful 2020 until now, having actually been extensively reported as lagging the winning bid-- alongside component maker JinkoSolar-- in Abu Dhabi's tender to release the 2GW Al Dhafra project in the Emirate. At US$ 0.0135/ kWh, the winning tender is a globe record low with a power acquisition agreement (PPA) set to be signed later this year.

Performance within EDF Renewables also aided counter the effect of nuclear power failures which moistened the utility's 2019 full year monetary results, leading president Jean-Bernard Lévy to claim in February that the business was "forging ahead in all renewable energies".

Meanwhile, there were also further favorable signs for a continued rebound in the UK's solar market as Green Investment Group (GIG)-- the Macquarie-owned investment fund formerly of the UK federal government-- introduced strategies to develop 1GW of subsidy-free solar projects as well as additional battery storage facilities.

JOB has today revealed a joint endeavor with UK-based renewables designer Enso Energy to advance a boating of unsubsidised solar farms, starting with a first tranche of projects in England as well as Wales which are awaiting preparation authorization.

These projects will be backed by power purchase agreements as well as a lot of which, GIG claimed, would make use of trackers and also bifacial solar modules to bolster the power generation per location.

"The UK's solar market holds big potential to develop green jobs as well as assist the UK obtain closer to its objective of becoming a Net Zero economy. By integrating GIG's deep technological and also economic capabilities with Enso's highly skilled development team, our collaboration has the abilities and also proficiency to unlock that possible, bringing low-cost, low-carbon power to areas right throughout the UK," Edward Northam, head of Green Investment Group Europe, said.