Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners’ 373MW Cleve Hill solar park in Kent has now begun commercial operations.
The solar park (pictured) is the largest operational project of its kind in the UK. Cleve Hill is now exporting at 100% of its 373MWdc capacity, which is more than four times the size of 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.
Cleve Hill was the first solar and battery storage project to be consented as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP).
The record-breaking solar project is supported by the largest solar-plus-storage project financing ever undertaken in the UK.
As previously announced, Quinbrook closed a £218.5m term loan and a £20m VAT facility with Lloyds and NatWest.
Construction is also underway on the 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.
Quinbrook managing director 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.
“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.”
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 PLC, the largest solar corporate power purchase agreement executed in the UK to date.
Quinbrook co-founder and managing partner Rory Quinlan added: “Quinbrook is proud to further enhance our track record of successfully delivering milestone infrastructure projects that create such a meaningful and positive impact for the UK’s energy transition. Projects like Cleve Hill set new scale benchmarks that should increase confidence that the UK’s renewables targets can be achieved.”
The solar farm was granted development consent in May 2020 and commenced construction in early 2023. Quinbrook partnered with its development affiliate, Private Energy Partners, in the construction and commissioning of the project.
Cleve Hill is expected to help reduce carbon emissions by more than 142,000 tonnes in the first year of operations. It is also expected to support over 2500 direct and indirect jobs and generate more than £114m in local socio-economic benefits over its lifetime.