Vodafone has signed its second corporate solar power purchase agreement (PPA) in the UK that will mean 44% of its annual energy requirement will come from UK-based renewable power sources by 2025. The deal, with Centrica, gives Vodafone UK access to clean, high quality and affordable renewable electricity for the next 10 years, supplied by five solar farms. The solar farms, located in Norfolk, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Buckinghamshire and Dorset, will generate a total of 216 gigawatt-hours of electricity. Construction will begin this year with energy generation expected from early 2024. Vodafone will purchase a “significant proportion” of the electricity output from the solar farms, securing their development and bringing additional renewable power provision to the UK Grid. The remainder will be sold through Centrica’s Energy Marketing & Trading business.
The deal, between Vodafone, Centrica as the power supplier, and Mytilineos as the generator, supports the UK government’s ambition to focus on home-grown, clean and more affordable energy. Ahmed Essam, UK CEO of Vodafone, said: “The energy crisis has highlighted we must work together – as governments, businesses and society – to change how we produce and consume energy. Today’s announcement ensures a significant proportion of our energy requirement, for at least the next 10 years, is home-grown in the UK. “I’m pleased Vodafone is helping to progress the development of new renewable power sites and supporting the delivery of green energy to the UK grid. “Importantly, this also gives Vodafone UK improved energy security and price certainty and will help us achieve net zero for our UK operations by 2027.”
Credits: renews.biz [Image: Vodafone]