UK electricity supplier So Energy has signed power purchase agreements for output from two UK wind farms owned by Ventient Energy.
The PPAs, worth an estimated £20m with Swiss utility Axpo, are for generation from the A’Chruach wind farm in Argyll, Western Scotland, and the Sisters wind farm in Northumberland with a combined total capacity of over 50MW.
The wind power supplied from the two Ventient Energy-owned wind farms will be used to power So Energy customers’ homes until the end of 2023 and will provide enough electricity to supply 15% of So Energy’s 250,000 customers.
All of So Energy’s tariffs have always been backed by 100% green electricity through the Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs) certificate scheme, but PPAs enable suppliers to match their customers’ usage with green power generated at specific sites.
This is a more direct way of supporting renewable energy projects as PPAs are the main route to market for renewable generators.
So Energy co-founder Simon Oscroft said: “This agreement significantly strengthens our green credentials and raises the bar in how suppliers in the UK source and account for the green energy they supply to their customers.
“By purchasing the renewable energy from these wind sites, we are closer to the power we procure, something which we know our customers want and the climate desperately needs.”
Ventient Energy CEO Mark Jones said: “As the largest European independent generator of onshore wind energy, we are passionate about decarbonisation and promoting the clean growth strategy the UK Government have outlined.
“The agreement between So Energy and Axpo will reassure supply customers that the energy they are purchasing comes from two of Ventient Energy’s onshore windfarms and is 100% renewable generation.”