Independent energy producer IPP) Sonnedix has started work on a 40MW solar PV project in Devon.
The Gammaton site is Sonnedix’s first large-scale solar project in the UK and was one of five of the company’s projects awarded a Contract for Difference (CfD) agreement in the government’s AR5 and AR6 allocation rounds.
Sonnedix said the project is “strategically located” near the Alverdiscott power station, providing access to existing network infrastructure and the “potential for future co-location opportunities”. Gammaton is designed to allow sheep and cattle to graze “around and through” the solar panels, Sonnedix said, and is expected to generate 42 GWh of renewable energy annually.
Axel Thiemann, CEO of Sonnedix, said the start of operations at Gammaton was “an important milestone in the development of our UK portfolio.”
The site marks the first in a series of expansions for Sonnedix in the UK; The company said it plans to bring 300 MW of large-scale solar projects online in Britain in the first half of 2026, including its largest project, the 120MW Cowley solar complex in County Durham.
Globally, Sonnedix has a portfolio capacity of approximately 12 GW, of which 4 GW is in operation, 1 GW is under construction and approximately 6 GW is in the project pipeline.
The UK CfD (AR) allocation rounds have attracted large amounts of solar energy development. AR6 in particular, where Sonnedix has won capacity, is seeing a “clear comeback” in the renewable energy CfD market, according to industry experts, as the government has received record levels of capacity bids. According to Solar Media analyst Josh Cornes, 60% of solar capacity built in Britain since 2023 has received a CfD.
The most recent round, AR7, saw a record number of developers allocated capacity and a slightly reduced average project size.
