German company IB Vogt has broken ground on the first of seven solar and battery storage projects in the UK.
The portfolio consists of seven sites with a total capacity of 720MW, 380MW of which comprises solar projects and the other 340MW battery storage.
The projects are located throughout the UK, with start of construction on the first project, a 66MWp solar and 50MW battery storage co-located power plant, taking place on 27 February, 2023.
The second project in the portfolio is a 58MWp solar and 40MW battery co-located power plant, with start of construction expected in April 2023.
The first project in the portfolio comprises of 115,856 modules and represents IB Vogt’s first tracker development in the country.
With an output of circa 82GWh per year, the project alone will produce clean solar electricity equivalent to the average annual consumption of 27,000 households while saving up to 21,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.
In addition to the solar capacity, the co-located battery and solar project will provide grid services such as stabilisation and load shifting, moving renewable electricity generation from when it is generated to when it is needed on the market.
IB Vogt is the minority shareholder and realisation partner in the portfolio, as it worked together with DIF Capital Partners to acquire the greenfield ready-to-build solar and battery assets.
The company will provide EPC and O&M services for the solar projects, with all projects expecting to be operational between 2024 and 2026.
“We are constructing a number of solar plants in the UK and this solar plus battery portfolio is a great addition to the projects we are currently realizing from our own pipeline,” said Anton Milner, CEO of IB Vogt.
“The UK is an advanced solar energy market and battery systems are an increasingly important factor to support the transition to renewable-based electricity generation. I would like to thank everyone involved so far for their tremendous work.
“Together with our partners at DIF, we are committed to continue advancing clean solar power and supporting the decarbonisation of electricity generation – even after the sun has set.”