BayWa r.e. has sold four UK solar projects to Octopus Energy Generation, one of Europe’s largest specialist renewables investors. The solar farms, with a combined capacity of 222 MWp, can supply 80,000 UK households with green electricity.
The sale includes the project rights for the 50 MWp “Perrinpit Road” solar park, developed under a joint venture with Grüne Energien Solar.
The three other projects are ready to build, with construction set to start this year:
- Driffield: a 48 MWp solar park, located about 50 km east of York
- South Fambridge Hall: a 52 MWp solar park, located in Rochford, Essex
- Corner Copse: a 72 MWp solar park, located near Swindon, Wiltshire.
BayWa r.e. will construct all three projects under an EPC arrangement. Driffield has also been developed to include a 30 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) which will be built by Octopus.
The company has also entered into 20-year-agreements for these projects, to provide them with long-term operations and maintenance as well as commercial asset management services. In total, the BayWa r.e. Asset Operations Team manages over 1.8 GW of renewables in the UK, including more than 835 MW of ground-mounted solar.
Each project has a strong focus on improving biodiversity and providing community benefits. BayWa r.e.’s initiatives include creating habitats, planting wildflower meadows, trees, and grasslands, as well as installing bat boxes and hedgehog houses. Additionally, the company will support local communities through benefit packages.
Christine McGregor, Managing Director, UK & Ireland at BayWa r.e. commented:“Thanks to the efforts of our strong team in the UK, we were able to prepare these high-quality solar projects for a successful construction phase which will commence soon, ensuring a near-term start of green energy production. We are looking forward to building upon our reliable partnership with Octopus Energy Generation, and together, contribute to the UK’s ambitious plans to accelerate the energy transition.”
BayWa r.e.’s COO Daniel Gäfke added: “The UK is one of the key markets for our wind and solar projects business. We are delighted to have brought these sites to the point of being attractive investment opportunities for our customers and we look forward to continuing to demonstrate our capabilities in this sector to financial investors over the long-term.These projects will play a crucial role in supporting the UK government’s goal of achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050. We are excited to continue our efforts in the UK and beyond to help meet essential climate targets."
