Leonardo Partners with Conrad Energy for 11.25 MWp Solar PPA

• Leonardo will power its Yeovil plant with solar electricity under a 20-year PPA with Conrad Energy’s 11.25 MWp Camp Road project, cutting 40,000 tonnes of CO₂.

Helicopter maker Leonardo has secured its clean-energy future by signing a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Britain’s Conrad Energy. Under the deal, Leonardo’s Yeovil manufacturing site will take the entire output of an 11.25 MWp photovoltaic installation planned for Somerset.

Known as the Camp Road solar farm, the 45-acre project has just received planning consent from Somerset Council. Construction is due to start later this year, with commissioning slated for mid-2026. Once operational, the site will generate enough electricity to match the annual usage of around 6,500 UK homes, supplying Leonardo directly via a dedicated private wire link.

Over two decades, the arrangement is forecast to avoid roughly 40,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions—an important milestone on Leonardo’s roadmap to reach net-zero by 2030. “Locking in this long-term renewable supply brings both cost certainty and real environmental impact,” said a Leonardo spokesperson.

For Conrad Energy, the Camp Road development marks its first standalone solar venture. Until now, the company has focused on flexible gas generation and battery storage; this greenfield PV park expands its footprint into utility-scale solar. “We’re delighted to team up with Leonardo and demonstrate how off-site renewables can decarbonise heavy industrial operations,” said Conrad Energy’s CEO.

The farm will feature high-efficiency panels mounted on single-axis trackers, capturing more sunlight throughout the day compared with fixed-tilt arrays. Grid-connection works will run in parallel with civil works to keep the project on schedule. Once live, Camp Road will feed surplus power into the local network, delivering clean energy benefits to surrounding communities as well as Leonardo.

This PPA deal reflects a growing trend in the UK: manufacturers are increasingly turning to long-term renewable contracts to lock in predictable power costs and shield themselves from volatile wholesale markets. By pairing corporate offtakers with specialist developers, projects like Camp Road can proceed without tying up capital in on-site generation.

As the UK accelerates its transition to a low-carbon economy, partnerships between clean-energy providers and industrial users will become ever more vital. With Camp Road paving the way, both Leonardo and Conrad Energy are setting a strong example of how pragmatic collaboration can drive meaningful emissions reductions.