Anglian Water, a UK based water utility, has got its biggest solar array with 11.65 MW capacity at its Grafham Water Treatment Works up and running to provide over 26% of the facility's energy consumption and lower its carbon emissions by around 3,500 tons annually. The Grafham facility uses close to 45 million kWh of clean energy annually to supply clean water to the utility's customers. Solar power from the farm will be supplied to the facility through a private wire connection.
According to Anglian Water, the solar project marks a significant milestone in the achievement of its goal of turning into a net zero carbon business by 2030.
The solar power facility is expected to generate 11 GWh annually with 43,000 solar panels installed. Power will be procured by the utility under a power purchase agreement (PPA) structured by Macquarie's Green Investment Group (GIG) that switched on the solar farm along with solar developer HBS New Energies (HBS) that also constructed the project completing it within 26 weeks.
HBS terms it as one of the largest solar farms built in the UK water industry developed under Aglian Water's Solar Delivery Programme under which the utility contracted HBS to deliver 30 MW solar capacity in 2018.
GIG Europe's Head, Edward Northam said this is its largest project in the commercial and industrial (C&I) space which establishes the group as a 'major player in the solar C&I market'.
Back in December 2019, another UK utility Southern Water Services Ltd. issued a request for information exercise to procure solar power through a PPA to increase its on-site electricity generation with the help of ground mounted, floating and rooftop solar arrays (see UK's 'Largest' Subsidy-Free Solar Plant Online).