TotalEnergies Secures 435-MW UK Solar-plus-Storage Pipeline in Deal with Low Carbon

• French major TotalEnergies buys eight solar farms and two battery projects (435 MW) from UK developer Low Carbon, boosting its British renewables ambitions.

TotalEnergies has struck another strategic blow in the British clean-energy market, buying a late-stage development portfolio totalling 435 MW from UK developer Low Carbon. The package comprises eight utility-scale solar farms with a combined 350 MW of generation capacity plus two co-located battery-energy-storage systems (BESS) adding 85 MW of flexible power, all sited across southern England.

Although financial terms were not disclosed, the French group said the assets will slot directly into its Integrated Power business and help balance renewables output with dispatchable storage. Grid-connection dates for the first projects fall in 2026-27, aligning with the UK’s push for a fully decarbonised power sector by 2035 and the company’s own timetable to recycle capital quickly once construction is complete.

Why the deal matters

• Strengthening the UK footprint. TotalEnergies already co-owns the 1.1-GW Seagreen offshore wind park and holds stakes in several floating and fixed-bottom wind projects. The newly acquired solar-plus-storage capacity diversifies that mix, giving the company its first meaningful ground-mounted PV foothold in Britain.

• Firming up flexible supply. Battery storage is increasingly central to TotalEnergies’ “clean-firm” power model. By pairing 85 MW of BESS with new PV, the firm can shift midday solar surpluses into evening peak periods and participate in National Grid’s balancing markets.

• Acceleration toward global targets. The transaction supports the major’s roadmap to reach 35 GW of gross renewable capacity by the end of 2025 and to produce 100 TWh of clean electricity annually by 2030. 

• Capital-light growth. Buying projects at an advanced development stage allows TotalEnergies to step in just before the highest-value construction phase while still capturing long-term offtake upside. The company has recycled more than USD 4 billion of capital through similar build-sell-operate structures since 2022, boosting project IRRs in its electricity segment.

Nicolas Piau, Senior Vice-President Renewables for Northern Europe, called the deal “a perfect illustration of our integrated power strategy: develop, build, operate and, when relevant, divest minority stakes to recycle capital while continuing to operate the assets.”

For Low Carbon, the sale frees up resources for its 20-GW global pipeline and validates its approach of de-risking assets before hand-off to long-term operators. Chief executive Roy Bedlow said the proceeds will be “re-invested into fresh UK and international projects that accelerate the transition to net-zero.”

As Britain races to triple solar capacity to 70 GW by 2035, transactions like this underscore how fast-moving developers and deep-pocketed strategics are teaming up to turn planning permissions into shovel-ready projects—and, ultimately, reliable clean power on the grid.