Category: News

               JBM Solar has submitted proposals for a solar farm and battery energy storage system (BESS) to Wychavon District Council. The Roundhill solar farm, located to the south of Earls Common Road in Inkberrow, would produce the equivalent annual electricity needs of over 18,000 Wychavon homes. The submission follows an extensive period of community engagement and consultation. The site will be opened up to the local community through the provision of green infrastructure including picnic areas, permissive paths, a visitor car park, a community orchard, enhanced public rights of way, an educational trail and outdoor classroom.

               A small number of residents have raised questions about the site’s historic link to the author JRR Tolkien. Whilst Tolkien would have known the surrounding countryside, there are no references in consulted sources of any specific connection with the site. Due to the nature of the development, the site would be preserved as greenfield before, during and after it is decommissioned, unlike other developments, and would provide around £7.6m in local business rates. A spokesperson for JBM Solar said: “The Roundhill Solar Farm is a great opportunity to provide sustainable and renewable energy for years to come. Increasing the proportion of renewable energy is key in supporting Wychavon District Council’s net zero carbon goals.”

Credits: renews.biz [Image: JBM Solar]

               Amberside Energy and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), on behalf of its Flagship Funds, have partnered to develop 2GW of solar and battery storage projects in the UK. Under the terms of the partnership, CIP’s Flagship Funds will provide the capital for project development with the ambition of creating a portfolio of scale that, over time, will have projects in operation, in construction as well as under development. Subject to investment decisions at the time, CIP intends to provide the capital required for the construction of the projects in this portfolio.  Amberside Energy will continue to lead origination and development activities for the solar and battery storage projects while CIP will contribute its expertise in procurement, structuring and financing renewable energy projects. “We look forward to a successful partnership with Amberside Energy for the development of a significant pipeline of clean-energy projects that will help accelerate the UK’s energy transition to ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas emissions by 2050,” said Radu Gruescu, Partner at CIP.

               “UK solar and battery storage have become increasingly competitive in recent years and are now some of the most cost-efficient technologies, contributing to enhancing grid flexibility, resilience and increasing the overall security of supply.” Marc Scambler, Co-Founder and CEO of Amberside Energy, added: “We are delighted to form a partnership with CIP. Together, we will be able to accelerate the energy transition in the UK at scale. “Our origination and development efforts are well underway, and our proprietary grid model combined with experience gained from auditing and asset managing such schemes helps maximise the efficiency of the development process. “We expect our first projects to be ready to begin construction in the next two years and to deliver significant benefits to the communities who host them as well as generating sustainable green power for many years ahead.”

Credits: renews.biz [Image: Pixabay]

              Duke Energy has placed into commercial operation a 120MW solar farm in Idaho, US. Jackpot Solar in Twin Falls County, Idaho, is Duke Energy’s first utility-scale renewable energy project in the state and is the largest solar facility in operation in Idaho. It will provide energy to Idaho Power through a 20-year power purchase agreement. SOLV Energy completed the engineering and construction of the project, while Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions will own and operate the project. The project employed about 200 workers at peak construction. The Jackpot Solar facility will provide tax revenues for the Filer Consolidated School District.

               Additionally, the Duke Energy Foundation awarded a $15,000 grant to the Shoshone Basin Rangeland Fire Protection Association to support the organization’s efforts to enhance the safety of the citizens in rural areas of Twin Falls County, Idaho. “Entering the Idaho solar market with such a major renewable project is very exciting for Duke Energy,” said Chris Fallon, president of Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions. “Jackpot Solar will help strengthen the energy diversity in the state, and bring additional economic benefits to the state and Twin Falls County, while also supporting Idaho Power’s clean energy goals.” Idaho Power chief operating office Adam Richins added: “This project continues our commitment to clean energy while also helping us address the rapidly growing need for new resources to ensure we can provide reliable, affordable electricity to our customers.”

Credits: renews.biz [Image: Duke Energy]

               Sonnedix has acquired a 136MW solar portfolio in Spain, from Qualitas Energy, a global investment and management platform. The portfolio consists of 169 solar plants located across the country, which became operational between 2007 and 2014 and are under the Spanish regulatory regime. Sonnedix CEO Axel Thiemann said: “This acquisition demonstrates our capacity and dedication to powering the energy transition in the country – where we started our journey in 2009, and where today we have a total capacity of over 1.4GW – expanding our portfolio of projects and building relationships with partners like Qualitas Energy, who share our vision of a future where renewable energy leads, improving the lives of our communities.” Sonnedix’s global platform spans 10 countries and exceeds 8GW of total capacity.

              In Spain, operational capacity stands at just over 770MW, with more than 850MW under construction or in various phases of development. Qualitas Energy recently announced the launch of its fifth flagship fund, Q-Energy V (QE V), with which it will primarily invest across Germany, the UK, Spain, Italy and Poland, targeting renewable energy assets in operation and under development. In November 2022, the vehicle held a first close of more than €1.1bn.

Credits: renews.biz [Image: Sonnedix]

               RWE and Greek developer PPC have reached a final investment decision to build 175MW (210MW peak) of solar capacity in Greece. The companies’ joint venture will build five projects in Western Macedonia, with construction scheduled to begin this spring, followed by commissioning in early 2024. The 200MW of capacity will require a total investment of €180m, with €90m co-financed by EU funds. The projects have long-term power purchase agreements signed with various customers, with terms ranging between 10 and 15 years.

               The solar parks are to be built in the northern Greek region of Western Macedonia on the site of the former Amyntaio lignite mine. RWE holds a 51% share in the joint venture company, Meton Energy, with PPC Renewables holding the remaining 49%. Georgios Stassis, Chairman and CEO of PPC, said: “Clean energy is at the heart of PPC’s strategic planning. “These include the development of renewable energy projects, storage technologies and green hydrogen. “I am convinced that renewable energies in combination with storage technologies will form the backbone of the electricity system worldwide in the next decade. “We continue to invest in renewable energy projects – alone and in cooperation with strong partners such as RWE. The development of the major solar projects in Western Macedonia shows our commitment to the energy transition. “We are also strengthening Western Macedonia’s role as the country’s energy centre.” Through Meton Energy, RWE Renewables and PPC Renewables are developing solar projects with a total capacity of up to 2GW (peak) in Greece. PPC Renewables has contributed nine solar projects with a total capacity of up to 870MW (940MWp) to the joint venture and RWE Renewables has a solar development pipeline in Greece of a similar size.

Credits: renews.biz [Image: RWE]

               Solar developer Soltec has obtained favourable environmental authorisations (EIS) for sixteen photovoltaic plants located in the Spanish provinces of Murcia and Alicante, with a combined capacity of 401MW.  Of this, 352MW of sites will be developed with its JV with TotalEnergies, in which Soltec has a 35% stake. Soltec chief executive Raúl Morales said: “The authorizations obtained for the development of the projects are a reflection of the relevant advances we are making in the development of our projects, following our roadmap.

               “Our commitment to the development of the Levante area as a renewable energy pole is firm and we are convinced of its potential to contribute to the Energy transition at European level. “From Soltec we firmly believe in a just transition that benefits all sectors of the area through ecovoltaics, with measures such as respect for the biodiversity of the area or the application of the circular economy in all our plants.”

Credits: renews.biz [Image: Soltec]

               Italian steel maker Acciaierie d’Italia has signed a letter of intent with Falck Renewables and BlueFloat Energy for a strategic collaboration linked to the development of renewable energy projects. The trio also set up a technical table will focus on four potential development paths. Under this the Taranto-based company will supply steel and other materials for the construction of floating marine platforms (pictured) for the offshore wind farms developed by the joint partnership between Falck Renewables and BlueFloat Energy. In turn, these plants will offer Acciaierie d’Italia the supply of renewable energy and green hydrogen. Furthermore, Falck Renewables will support Acciaierie d’Italia in the construction of photovoltaic systems on land and buildings available to the company inside and outside the plant for the production of renewable electricity.

               Then, the companies are willing to set up a consortium involving specialised companies, polytechnics and research centres to promote the greatest possible use of renewable energies for energy-intensive companies and for the technological development of an industrial supply chain for the production of components for marine wind technology in Apulia. The agreement is part of the strategic partnerships established by Acciaierie d’Italia with large companies of excellence to carry out the energy and environmental transition of the Taranto plant.

Credits: renews.biz [Image: BlueFloat Energy ]

                 Acciona Energía has commissioned the 125MWp Extremadura I, II and III photovoltaic complex in Almendralejo (Badajoz), the company’s largest solar plant in Spain. Extremadura I, II and III consists of more than 230,000 photovoltaic modules that will generate 257GWh of clean electricity annually, equivalent to the consumption of about 65,000 homes, which will avoid the emission of about 112,000 tons of CO2 per year. The total investment of the project exceeds €80m. In collaboration with the City Council of Almendralejo and AlmaNatura, the company has implemented the ‘Colabora Almendralejo’ project, as part of its Social Impact Management (GIS) program associated with the project. The initiative arises after a social impact study and an open dialogue with all the interest groups identified in the area with the aim of connecting unemployed young people and companies to work together and promote the sustainability and employability of the municipality. A total of 25 young people will receive free training in various areas such as sustainability, innovation and the identification of socio-environmental challenges.

                 In addition, ten companies will participate in follow-up sessions to identify their main spaces for improvement and challenges in terms of sustainability. With the knowledge acquired, young people and companies will work together in a series of co-creation workshops to develop solutions that promote the sustainability of companies and help them overcome the challenges identified. The construction works of Extremadura I, II and III have brought to light a series of very relevant archaeological remains, among which a set of Chalcolithic settlements of more than 5,000 years ago stands out. The company has worked hand in hand with archaeologists, specialists in heritage conservation and the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage of the Junta de Extremadura to locate, demarcate and safeguard the 11 sites found that represent 30 hectares of archaeological protection. Acciona Energía has been adapting the design and configuration of its photovoltaic project to ensure the protection and preservation of the vestiges that have been delimited. The company will undertake and fully finance the excavation of these deposits. 

Credits: renews.biz [Image: Acciona Energia ]

               EDF Renewables UK has signed a CPPA with NatWest for almost 50MW of energy from Porth Wen Solar Farm in Anglesey, North Wales. Power balancing and shaping services will be provided by EDF Business Solutions. Construction is already underway and will be completed in 2023. EDF Renewables UK said that over 60% of the workforce during the enabling and civil works have been local (based less than one hour from the project) and once complete, the 190-acre site will be able to be used for sheep grazing. The team will also enhance biodiversity on site with a mile-long wildlife corridor and hedgerow, wildflower and woodland planting. Chief executive of EDF Renewables UK Matthieu Hue said: “We are delighted to be working with NatWest.

               “This project demonstrates our ability to develop solar in the UK through innovative routes to market, to provide solutions for our customers in terms of low cost renewable energy while helping to de-carbonise the UK electricity system.” James Close, director of climate change at NatWest Group said: “We are pleased to be working with EDF Renewables UK to deliver the Porth Wen Solar Farm.  “When it is completed later this year, it will supply the grid with renewable electricity equivalent to the usage of 9,500 average UK homes. “As well as producing low carbon electricity, the solar farm project will also enhance local biodiversity and nature in Anglesey.”

Credits: renews.biz [Image: EDF Renewables]

               Spanish oil and gas firm Cepsa will add three new solar projects in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain with a combined capacity of 400MW. The company will develop the plants in the towns of Campo de Criptana and Arenales de San Gregorio (Ciudad Real), with an investment of more than €280m and their construction will start at the beginning of 2025. Once in operation, these projects will produce an estimated annual energy output of 840GWh, which is equivalent to nearly one third of the domestic consumption of Castilla-La Mancha. Within the framework of these developments, the town councils of Arenales de San Gregorio and Campo de Criptana have signed agreements with Cepsa to join the “Sumamos Energías” programme, which promotes the local economy and environment. 

               Cepsa head of development of photovoltaic projects Geronimo de Angulo said: “Castilla-La Mancha is a strategic community for the development of Cepsa’s renewable energy portfolio, which will allow us to drive our Positive Motionstrategy. “We are going to advance in the decarbonization of our activity, while generating a positive impact on the environment, based on the DNA that characterizes us: creation of shared value, listening to the public and establishing long-term relationships based on trust.” Cepsa has committed to developing nine projects in this area, with a total capacity of 1200MW, generating more than 2,100 jobs during their construction, with a total investment of more than €840m.

Credits: renews.biz [Image: Asia Chang/Unsplash ]