Britain’s largest PPA signed to date for 373 MW solar park – SPE

Tesco Stores Limited and Shell Energy Europe Limited have signed major offtake agreements with Cleve Hill Solar Park, a 373 MW solar and 150 MW battery storage project under construction in Kent, England. The 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with supermarket chain Tesco is the largest PPA for solar companies carried out in the UK to date, claims project owner Quinbrook.

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

Cleve Hill Solar Park was the first ever utility-scale solar project in the UK to receive a Development Consent Order (DCO) from central government. The project was given the green light by the British 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 scheduled for early 2025.

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

“Cleve Hill has set new benchmarks for British solar energy and is helping Quinbrook continue its efforts to support the UK’s low carbon economy and energy independence goals through large-scale solar and battery projects,” he said.

Ken Murphy, group director at Tesco, said Cleve Hill has the ability to generate up to 10% of the retailer’s UK electricity demand. Tesco is the largest supermarket chain in Great Britain.

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