UK’s largest PPA to date signed for 373 MW solar farm – pv magazine International

Tesco Stores Limited and Shell Energy Europe Limited have signed major purchase agreements with Cleve Hill Solar Park, a 373 MW solar storage and 150 MW battery project under construction in Kent, England. The 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with food retailer Tesco is the largest corporate solar PPA executed in the UK to date, says project owner Quinbrook.

The deal with Shell includes a ten-year route-to-market agreement, which will see the global energy giant manage 100% of the capacity that was secured for Cleve Hill under a 15-year Contract for Difference (CfD) auction. in 2022. CfDs have been a key part of the UK’s renewable energy strategy since the first allocation round opened in 2014. Both purchase agreements provide long-term indexed revenues for Cleve Hill.

Cleve Hill Solar Park was the first utility-scale solar project in the UK to secure a development consent order (DCO) from central government. The project was given the green light by the UK government in 2020. Quinbrook acquired the project, which was initially developed as a joint venture between Wirsol and Hive Energy, in 2021. Commissioning at Cleve Hill is expected in early 2025.

In a statement, Keith Gains, managing director and regional lead for Quinbrook in the UK, said the deals with Tesco and Shell “represent a significant milestone in delivering long-term inflation-linked earnings for our investors”, as well such as supporting new construction and jobs.

“Cleve Hill has set new standards for UK solar and helps Quinbrook deepen its efforts to support the UK’s decarbonisation and energy independence goals through large-scale solar and battery projects,” he said.

Ken Murphy, group chief executive of Tesco, said Cleve Hill has the capacity to generate up to 10% of the retailer’s UK electricity demand. Tesco is Britain’s largest food retailer.

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