Developer Innova has announced signing of a 40-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for the combined 15MWp output of its Cefn and Wrexham solar farms.
The PPA was signed with Dwr Cymru (Welsh Water) to power its Five Fords sewage treatment works. Both Cefn and Wrexham solar plants are located nearby, and as part of the arrangement and associated works Dwr Cymru will also upgrade its internal grid infrastructure to improve the reliability of the power supply.
Wrexham solar park, which has a 5.7MW solar array co-located with a 10MW battery energy storage system (BESS), was granted planning consent in November 2022. Cefn solar park following received planning consent in March 2023, to have solar capacity of 9.9MW and a 10MW BESS. Innova said construction of both sites is due to begin “shortly”.
The combined solar capacity from both sites will power the sewage treatment works, with any excess electricity generated used to power other sites owned by Dwr Cymru.
According to Andrew Dixon, head of energy efficiency at Dwr Cymru, the PPA will make “significant” reductions in the company’s net energy costs, adding that the generation from Innova’s solar plants will account for around 3% of Dwr Cymru’s annual electricity use.
Innova’s head of energy sales, Andrew Peyman, said: “The PPA will not only provide Dwr Cymru with supply of locally sourced renewable electricity and long-term price certainty, but the agreement ensures that Innova will be able to secure suitable funding for the construction of the Wrexham and Cefn projects.”
Innova sells solar to Schroders
The PPA comes after Innova announced the successful sale of its 27.5MW Ducklington Solar project to investment firm Schroders Greencoat, the fifth solar project the latter has bought from the developer, bringing the total capacity exchanged to 110MWp.
That news came just days after Innova secured planning consent from Doncaster Council for the Almhome Energy Hub project, a 49.9MW solar installation co-located with a 1.025GW/2.05GWh BESS, which Innova says is the second-largest BESS project to gain planning consent to date.
