Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners has acquired the 350MW Mallard Pass solar project in the UK from Canadian Solar.
The project, located on the Rutland-Lincolnshire border in the east Midlands, England, is Quinbrook’s second nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP) after Cleve Hill Solar, the UK’s first NSIP project which is in final stages of construction.
Construction of Mallard Pass is expected to begin in 2026 with commencement of operations in 2028.
Quinbrook and affiliate, Private Energy Partners, will now proceed with detailed design, procurement and construction planning.
Quinbrook will use its experience from the comparably sized Cleve Hill project, which is due to commence generation of solar power this quarter.
Cleve Hill was the first NSIP to secure a Contract for Difference (CfD) in July 2022 as part of the UK’s Allocation Round 4 and has a corporate power purchase agreement with Tesco.
“Renewable power projects of the scale of Cleve Hill and Mallard Pass help accelerate the UK’s energy transition and decarbonisation along with enhanced resilience of energy supply,” said Keith Gains, Managing Director and UK regional leader for Quinbrook.
He added: “Mallard Pass represents another value-add investment opportunity for Quinbrook in large scale solar.
“Quinbrook plans to leverage our extensive global experience in large-scale renewables development, construction and operations to bring high-quality solar technology and innovation to Mallard Pass including its demand-side capacity potential.”
As it did with Cleve Hill, Quinbrook will prioritise local and regional benefits Mallard Pass can bring to the community.
This includes scope for local residents to access employment opportunities associated with construction and operation.
Preliminary analysis indicates that over the project’s anticipated lifetime, Mallard Pass could “support more than 2000 direct and indirect jobs and generate upwards of £124m in local socio-economic contributions”.
Quinbrook also aims to deliver a 71% biodiversity net gain at Mallard Pass, combining natural capital enhancement and creation initiatives and leveraging its experience from implementing 67% biodiversity net gain at Cleve Hill.
“Solar projects of this scale play an important role in the decarbonisation of the UK grid and our country’s energy security,” said Rosalind Smith-Maxwell, Director for Quinbrook, adding: “The investment in Mallard Pass is another excellent example of Quinbrook’s focus on holistic and impactful investment in the infrastructure needed to advance the energy transition.”