L&G NTR Fund Buys Fair Oaks Solar-BESS Project

• L&G NTR Clean Power Fund III buys Fair Oaks in Nottinghamshire: 75.4MW solar plus 49.9MW/99.8MWh storage, ready-to-build for early-2028 operations.

L&G NTR Clean Power (Europe) Fund III said it has acquired the Fair Oaks Renewable Energy Park in Nottinghamshire, England: a 75.4-MWp solar facility paired with a 49.9-MW/99.8-MWh battery energy storage system.

Developed by Ridge Clean Energy Ltd, the ready-to-build project has planning consent, grid connection, and a contract for difference to support long-term revenues, with construction due to start in 2026 and commercial operations targeted for early 2028. The fund is a partnership between NTR Plc and Legal & General, with NTR closing the deal and Ridge working with the investors to deliver the project. Fair Oaks is the fund’s second UK investment after a minority stake in the 714-MW East Anglia One offshore wind farm.

How will L&G NTR’s Fair Oaks 75.4MW solar and 50MW battery advance UK clean power?

• Adds firm, dispatchable low-carbon power by pairing 75.4MW of solar with a ~50MW battery, helping smooth the daily intermittency of PV generation.
  
• Increases UK renewable capacity in Nottinghamshire with a utility-scale solar project designed to convert more daytime solar output into usable electricity across the evening peak.
  
• Strengthens grid stability through energy storage that can provide fast-response balancing support, reducing stress on networks during ramps between solar generation and demand.
  
• Supports system decarbonisation by displacing fossil-fired generation and lowering associated operational emissions over the project’s operating life.
• Improves renewable integration by enabling more efficient use of the energy already delivered from renewables—charging during periods of surplus and discharging during periods of deficit.
  
• Enhances investment certainty for clean power by leveraging a contract for difference (CfD) framework, which can support long-term revenue visibility for new build capacity.
  
• Provides additional value beyond energy generation by contributing capacity that can be used for grid services and operational flexibility (where contracted or required by system needs).
  
• Builds a scalable pathway for future UK storage deployment alongside renewables, demonstrating how battery-backed solar can expand clean power without relying solely on wind/solar complementarity.
  
• Contributes to regional clean energy growth by delivering major infrastructure in the East Midlands, potentially supporting local supply-chain and construction opportunities around commissioning timelines.
• Moves the market forward with a near-term pipeline: ready-to-build status and planned construction starting in 2026, targeting early 2028 operations to bring new clean capacity online during ongoing grid transition.