Bouygues Energies & Services begins construction on UK’s largest subsidy-free site

Bouygues Energies & Services will build the largest subsidy-free solar farm in the UK for NextEnergy.

It has begun construction on two subsidy-free sites for the investor and asset manager, totalling 115MWp in Llanwern, Wales, and Strensham, England.

At 75MW, Llanwern is the largest solar site of its kind in the UK, and will consist of over 187,500 solar modules spanning 300 acres. Strensham will consist of 100,000 modules covering 125 acres.

Both will use 400W solar modules and central inverter solutions, and together will generate enough electricity to meet the needs of 22,000 people.

“Bouygues Energies & Services is rapidly establishing itself as the leading solar PV EPC Contractor in the subsidy-free UK PV market and as one of the most reliable and high quality EPC Contractors globally, ensuring excellence, growth and value creation for our clients,” said Keith Pedder, strategic sales and energy director at Bouygues Energies & Services UK.

“Our teams will continue to work together in partnership to ensure the successful delivery and completion of these projects to the highest quality standard, as well as to deliver further subsidy-free solar PV projects.”

Bouygues Energies & Services has been working with Cambridgeshire County Council on a number of projects, including two landmark solar-plus-storage projects on existing landfill sites, which have been hailed as the first of their kind in the UK.

In April 2020, the two announced a 2.5MW solar carport project as well, which will include battery storage and is to be built in Cambridgeshire.

NextEnergy UK has been firmly establishing itself within the subsidy-free solar sector over the last year, including switching on what was then hailed as the largest such site in the UK – the 50MWp Staughton solar site – in December.

Ross Grier, managing director NextEnergy UK, said: “Following an extensive development process, we are very pleased and excited to be partnering with Bouygues Energies & Services UK, our chosen EPC Partner for the delivery of these important solar farms that continue NextEnergy’s deployment of new, subsidy-free solar in the UK.”

Speaking to Solar Power Portal in January, NextEnergy Capital CEO Mike Bonte-Friedheim said developing subsidy-free projects in the UK has changed “everything” in the business model.

Despite the impact of COVID-19 on the company, it is still planning further build-out of its subsidy-free portfolio, confirming in an update in April its plans to resume such developments ‘shortly’ with a 8.5MWp subsidy-free extension planned for its High Garrett site.