Plenitude's Golden Buckle Texas Solar Park Goes Live to Power Target

• Plenitude, the energy transition business of Italian oil and gas company Eni SpA, has commissioned the 263-MW Golden Buckle solar park in Texas to supply US retailer Target Corp. The photovoltaic (PV) farm is the largest solar complex installed by Plenitude to date and is expected to have an annual output of between 400 GWh and 500 GWh.

What happened?

Plenitude, the energy transition business of Italian oil and gas company Eni SpA, has commissioned the 263-MW Golden Buckle solar park in Texas to supply US retailer Target Corp. The photovoltaic (PV) farm is located 80 km south of Houston, in Texas’ Brazoria County, and is the largest solar complex installed by Plenitude to date. The construction phase took just over 12 months and was completed in time and on budget. Most of the electricity is contracted by Target Corp under a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA). The contract was signed in 2021 along with two more deals supporting the retail giant’s goal of sourcing 100% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030. The project was developed by Novis Renewables LLC, a partnership between Eni New Energy US Inc and Renantis North America, Inc. (Source: Plenitude).

Why does it matter?

The commissioning of the Golden Buckle solar park is an important step towards Plenitude's goal of achieving 15 GW of installed capacity by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2040. The project is expected to have an annual output of between 400 GWh and 500 GWh, or enough to cover the consumption of about 45,000 homes. This is a significant contribution to the global effort to reduce carbon emissions and transition to renewable energy sources. Furthermore, the project is a testament to the success of public-private partnerships in achieving large-scale renewable energy projects. 

What's next?

Plenitude aims to have 6 GW of installed capacity globally by 2025 and 15 GW by 2030. To achieve this, the company is actively looking for new projects and partnerships. It is also investing in research and development to improve the efficiency of its solar farms and reduce their cost. In addition, Plenitude is looking to expand its presence in other countries and regions, including Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.