© Supplied by Cleve Hill The 373MW Cleve Hill solar farm in Kent has finished construction and entered commercial operations, making it largest operating solar project in the UK
According to the project’s owners, Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, Cleve Hill is exporting more than four times as much power as the next largest operational UK solar project.
In May, electricity exports from Cleve Hill during the commissioning phase peaked at a level equivalent to 0.7% of the UK’s national power demand.
The project is supported by the largest solar + battery storage project financing ever undertaken in the UK with a £218.5 million term loan and a £20m VAT facility with Lloyds and NatWest.
Construction is also underway on a 150MW co-located battery energy storage system (BESS) which on completion will make Cleve Hill the largest co-located solar plus storage project ever constructed in the UK power market.
Cleve Hill was also the first solar and battery storage project to be consented as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP).
Quinbrook managing director and UK regional leader Keith Gains said: “Cleve Hill sets a new benchmark for large-scale solar projects to help decarbonise the UK power system and demonstrates how investing in the infrastructure needed to transition the UK to clean energy can support local communities and create new jobs.
Cleve Hill was the UK’s first solar NSIP to be awarded a contract for difference (CfD) by the UK government-backed Low Carbon Contracts Company and secured the largest award for a UK solar project in Round 4 of the CfD auction scheme.
Quinbrook also secured a long-term offtake agreement with Tesco, the largest solar corporate PPA executed in the UK to date.
Gains added: “Reaching commercial operations is a major technical, construction and financial achievement for our teams, our partners and our investors. Cleve Hill was not an easy project to build and we overcame many challenges along the way.
“The UK’s ongoing commitment to progress its energy transition and decarbonise the economy represents a strong conviction as a nation to a renewable energy future, one that is underpinned by a huge pipeline of large-scale infrastructure projects that will support growth, jobs and cheaper power for UK households.”
Greek company Metlen delivered the engineering, procurement and construction work for the project.
Metlen executive director of renewables Nikos Papapetrou stated: “We have delivered on our contract with Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners ahead of schedule. This significant project, which was the first to be approved as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, will strengthen the UK’s energy security and contribute to its journey to net zero.”
