Smith Brothers Contracting is to provide turnkey electrical engineering services at the 500MW Sunnica solar-plus-storage energy farm in the UK.
The contractor will act as the independent connection provider, including all civil, electrical primary and grid works – from initial design through to construction, commissioning and electrical balance of plant.
It will also oversee the building of three 132kV substations and the laying of the cable route from the solar farm to the Burwell National Grid substation.
Horizontal directional drilling methods will be applied, in conjunction with Network Rail and Highways England, respectively, to traverse existing infrastructure, including a railway line and dual carriageway.
Planning works are already in motion, with construction set to start in 2022 and a target energisation date of 2025.
Smith Brothers director Dave Ogden said: “The Sunnica energy farm is set to be a momentous project in meeting the UK’s green energy targets, and everyone at Smith Brothers is delighted to be working on such a prestigious scheme.
“Planning works are already well underway, with a 30-strong team from across the business set to collaborate on the turnkey delivery.”
Sunnica’s Luke Murray said: “Solar energy generation and battery storage are a sustainable and clean means of meeting our changing energy needs – particularly the government’s target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“Given the potential scale of the Sunnica energy farm, it was vital that we appointed an ICP which had a solid reputation for deliveries of this significance.
“Although this is the first time we’ve worked with Smith Brothers, we’re well-versed in some of the company’s other renewable project deliveries and are confident the team will ensure a timely and successful energisation.”