UK

Luminous Energy achieves financial close on 28.5MW Bracon Ash Solar Farm in Norfolk, UK, providing £10k/year for community projects, 203% biodiversity gain & in line with Net Zero targets. Belectric to build & maintain. TLT, CMS, Fichtner & WTW advised.

Pathfinder Clean Energy plans to build a 45.48-hectare solar farm outside the village of Paulton in Somerset. Generating 26 megawatts of power, it will provide 10% of the 300MW needed to reach net zero in Bath and North East Somerset. Grazing sheep are welcome under the solar panels, and battery storage will store energy for peak times. A planning application is yet to be submitted.

DIF Capital Partners has announced a £200 million investment into Field, a London-headquartered developer and operator of battery energy storage systems, to expedite the development of its 4.5 GWh pipeline of grid-scale projects in UK and Western Europe. Field is already operating a 20 MWh battery project in Oldham, and has four other sites totalling 210 MWh.

Eku Energy is set to construct two 130 MWh battery storage systems in Basildon, Essex and Loudwater, Buckinghamshire. Completion is expected by the end of 2024 with 1.2GWh of battery storage currently in delivery across six sites. NHOA Group is partnering with Eku for this project.

Dale Vince's Ecojet is the UK's first electric airline powered by renewable energy, set to launch in 2024. Ecojet flights will feature sustainable meals, uniforms, and no single-use plastics. Flying with Ecojet will reduce carbon emissions by 90,000 tonnes annually and contribute to decarbonizing the aviation industry.

RES wins contract to provide O&M and HV services for 13 Downing LLP solar sites. RES Head of Solar O&M Brian Darnell expresses delight while Danielle Strothers from Downing LLP looks forward to working together on asset efficiency.

Statkraft and Infinis have signed two seven-year PPAs for two solar farms in England, covering 92MW of installed capacity. Unity, Statkraft's VPP system, will actively manage the output of the farms to ensure optimal efficiency. Statkraft and Infinis hope to continue the partnership for future projects.

Britvic and Atrato have signed a 10-year PPA for energy from a 28MW solar farm. 75% of Britvic's GB operations will be powered by the solar energy, and a CPPA in Ireland provides 100% renewable electricity for Ballygowan. The project is expected to be commissioned in 2024.

Elgin Energy has sold a 100 MW PV portfolio of solar projects in UK to Pennon Group, estimated to require GBP 85 million investment. These projects are projected to generate low-cost electricity and contribute to UK's net-zero emissions by 2050. Also, Elgin sold 521 MW of solar & 70 MW of battery projects in 2020, to be operational by 2025.

Sungrow has been chosen to provide equipment for a 100MW/260MWh battery energy storage system project in the UK. Penso Power, BW ESS and Sungrow have formed a JV to deliver multiple storage systems, with the first planned for Bramley, Hampshire in 2024.

Imerys and British Lithium are partnering to mine battery-grade lithium carbonate in Cornwall. The venture could create 300 jobs and supply 500,000 electric cars with the component by 2030. Supported by UK government and Innovate UK, the project builds on Cornwall's mining heritage and could help secure the future of the car industry.

50MW solar development in North Yorkshire approved despite Council's refusal. Inspector noted benefit of immediate grid connection, contribution to renewable energy goals & biodiversity net gain. Costs awarded as Council failed to provide evidence to support refusal.

Ampyr Solar Europe acquires a 390MW UK solar-storage portfolio, with five projects located in Somerset, Worcestershire, County Durham and Moray, Scotland. With 1.8GW in total, Ampyr Solar Europe and Tyler Hill are committed to delivering high-quality projects that are cost-effective and support local community development.

Atrato Onsite Energy has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with OVO Energy, providing a three-year revenue stream and delivering 49GWh of clean energy per annum and saving 9,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Atrato Partners, led by Gurpreet Gujral, is proud to be supplying one of the UK's largest electricity suppliers.

EDF Renewables UK has been granted approval from the UK government for its 500 MW solar project in Essex. Construction is projected to begin in 2026, with power to the grid in 2028. Furthermore, research into the potential benefits of large-scale solar on biodiversity and wildlife in the UK will be conducted.