British Solar Renewables (BSR) has acquired Berden’s 56MWp solar project near Bishop’s Stortford, Essex.
The IPP purchased the fully approved, ready-to-build project from the developer, Statera Energy, for an undisclosed amount. The project is located on approximately 177 hectares of land between the towns of Stocking Pelham and Berden and is expected to generate approximately 60 GWh of power annually.
A grid connection for 2027 has been agreed for the location and a Contract for Difference (CfD) with a term of 20 years has been awarded in the government’s Allocation Round 7 (AR7).
BSR said the project would “support the agricultural use of the land” where it is built, but did not provide details on these measures.
Tim Humpage, CEO of British Solar Renewables, said the Berden project is “a high-quality, approved project that is strongly aligned with our focus on delivering renewable energy infrastructure that can make a meaningful contribution to the UK’s clean energy goals.”
The project’s developer, Statera, has mainly developed battery energy storage systems (BESS) so far. In January it received planning permission for a 8 hour energy storage project in Bedford.
BSR currently has approximately 610 MWp of installed renewable energy capacity in the UK. In December she submitted a planning application for one 50MW solar plus storage project near Doncaster, which is claimed to have a net biodiversity gain of 184.2%.
Research by energy think tank Emberreleased today shows that CfD-linked solar and wind projects now make up around 15% of the UK energy mix; these projects are not tied to wholesale gas prices, which Ember says are starting to ‘suppress’ UK energy prices.
