Global energy producer and service provider Voltalia has launched its largest solar park to date in the UK.
The South Farm Solar Park in Spetisbury, Dorset, is a first-of-its-kind to be signed directly between a renewable energy producer and governing authority, City of London Corporation.
Attendees for the opening of the completed 130-acre site included Alison Gowman, Alderman at City of London Corporation and chair of Livery Climate Action Group, finance directors from Santander, and members of Dorset Council.
South Farm Solar Park has a total capacity of 49.9MW – the equivalent of more than half of the City of London Corporation’s electricity needs. The project has been supported by Santander UK, which provided £25m funding to support its construction and operation.
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Laurent Pillot, head of power sales at Voltalia said: “Signing a Corporate Power Purchase Agreement with the City of London Corporation has been an important milestone for Voltalia in the UK. The transition to green electricity is gathering pace globally, and the City Corporation is a leader: it has demonstrated the capacity of a public entity to take efficient and meaningful decisions to accelerate this trend. We are very proud to effectively deliver green energy to the City of London Corporation since the beginning of 2023 and we hope to continue to support City of London in their energy transition path.”
Deputy policy chairman and policy lead for sustainability at the City of London Corporation, Keith Bottomley, added: “This scheme is a pioneering blueprint by the City Corporation for local authorities across the UK, cutting carbon emissions and giving cheaper, more secure energy, protected from the price volatility of energy markets. The deal will increase our green energy supply, has no reliance on taxpayer funding, and helps us transition quickly away from fossil fuels.”
Simon Holt, UK country manager discussed how the partnership demonstrates a solution for companies looking to reduce energy costs and their reliance on traditional energy formats.
Mr Holt said: “The UK’s commitment towards decarbonising all sectors of the UK by 2050 has remained, despite the turbulence of Brexit, COVID, and the cost-of-living crisis. As such, we urgently need to act to reach this target."
He continued: “Take South Farm Solar Park as an example, which will supply City of London Corporation with electricity for the next 15 years. It’s expected that the authority will derive more than £3m in cost savings. So, even without the huge environmental benefits of a sustainable energy source – it makes great commercial sense too.
“The park is also directly benefitting its local community. Throughout its construction, we’ve invested more than £1 million in the local supply chain within 25 miles of the park, which is part of Voltalia’s £4m investment across the South West region on this project alone."
Voltalia operates in more than 20 countries across three continents, with its pipeline of projects under development set to produce a total of 14.2 GW of renewable energy. The firm has undertaken 23 new renewable energy facility projects with a combined capacity of 193MW in the UK.
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