EDF Renewables UK has signed a Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (CPPA) with major retail and commercial bank, NatWest.
Through this contract, 49.99MW of renewable power will be provided to NatWest from Porth Wen Solar Farm located in Anglesey, North Wales, with power balancing and shaping services provided by EDF Business Solutions.
Construction is already underway and will be completed in 2023. EDF Renewables UK is proud that over 60% of the workforce during the enabling and civils works have been local (based less than 1 hour from the project) and once complete, the 190 acres site will be able to be used for sheep grazing. The team will also enhance biodiversity on site with a mile long wildlife corridor, hedgerow, wildflower and woodland planting.
CEO of EDF Renewables UK, Matthieu Hue said,
“We are delighted to be working with NatWest. This project demonstrates our ability to develop solar in the UK through innovative routes to market, to provide solutions for our customers in terms of low cost renewable energy whilst helping to de-carbonise the UK electricity system.”
James Close, Director of Climate Change at NatWest Group, said:
“We are pleased to be working with EDF Renewables UK to deliver the Porth Wen Solar Farm. When it is completed later this year, it will supply the grid with renewable electricity equivalent to the usage of 9,500 average UK homes*. As well as producing low carbon electricity, the solar farm project will also enhance local biodiversity and nature in Anglesey, with a mile-long wildlife corridor being planted.
“As a bank we have a responsibility to ensure that our buildings are powered by renewable electricity to help reduce the direct carbon emissions created by our own operations. Having already reduced our direct own operational carbon footprint by 46% against a 2019 baseline, our renewable electricity consumption is currently 97% globally and we plan for this to power 100% of our direct own operations by 2025.”
Director of EDF Business Solutions (EDF), Matt Nunn said,
“This innovative Corporate PPA will be delivered by utilising EDFs unrivalled energy market knowledge and expert trading capabilities to help maximise NatWest’s renewable power portfolio.
“CPPAs like this will play a huge part in enabling Britain to achieve Net Zero and we are excited to be working with generators and businesses to provide the route to market for renewable energy.”
For several years, EDF in the UK has been forging ahead with a number of solutions, helping commercial and industrial customers find the best way to achieve their low carbon ambitions through generating renewable energy. For this contract EDF will work with NatWest’s current electricity supplier and any future suppliers to incorporate the electricity generated at Porth Wen into their broader portfolio.
The Porth Wen solar project will be an important source of low carbon electricity and could meet the average annual domestic electricity requirements of up to 9,500 households*.
*Load factors based on the five year rolling averages on unchanged configuration basis using Table 6.5 of ‘Digest of UK Energy Statistics’ – latest figures as per July 2020 release.
** Power Balancing: forecasting the amount of generation on a half hourly basis, making sure that correct amount of power (as forecast changes) is sent to NatWest. Shaping services: converting that variable generation into a firm volume of power and transferring to NatWest's supplier.
