Innova has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Welsh Water.
The PPA will see Dwr Cymru’s Five Fords sewage treatment works powered with locally sourced renewable energy, generated from Innova’s Wrexham and Cefn solar farms, over the next 40 years.
Wrexham Solar Park was granted planning consent in November 2022, with Cefn Park – located in the same area – following closely behind to achieve planning consent in March 2023, with construction due to commence shortly.
Combined, the sites will have a total project capacity of 15MW, some of which will be used to power the sewage treatment works, with excess electricity generated from the sites being used to power other sites owned by Dwr Cymru.
As part of the arrangement and associated works, Dwr Cymru are also upgrading their internal grid infrastructure at Five Fords, which will improve the reliability and robustness of the power supply.
Andrew Peyman, Head of Energy Sales at Innova, said: “This PPA is a fantastic achievement for Innova and Dwr Cymru and is the culmination of a great team effort between the companies.
“The PPA will not only provide Dwr Cymru with supply of locally sourced renewable electricity and long-term price certainty, but the agreement ensures that Innova will be able to secure suitable funding for the construction of the Wrexham and Cefn projects.
“I look forward to seeing the positive impact of the PPA as we head into 2025 and beyond.”
Andrew Dixon, Head of Energy Efficiency at Dwr Cymru, added: “This Power Purchase Agreement, and subsequent renewable energy developments, will make significant reductions in Welsh Water’s net energy costs and carbon emissions.
“The generation will be equivalent to around 3% of Welsh Water’s annual electricity use – or around 4,500 homes.
“This project is a key milestone for our journey to net zero carbon emissions and we look forward to working with Innova during project construction.”