Acquisition set to expand Sonnedix' presence in the UK and European solar market. Image: Getty.
International PV developer Sonnedix has expanded its presence in the UK with the acquisition of a five-project strong solar PV portfolio of 300MW developed by Lightsource bp.
The solar portfolio will be developed by Lightsource bp with hopes the projects will be operational in 2024. These will be situated across different regions in the UK and will produce approximately 300GWh of clean energy during the first year of operation.
The UK portfolio will also serve as a hub to scale its presence in Europe as a means to build on its near 8GW of total capacity installed across the globe.
Once this acquisition has successfully gone through, Sonnedix will reach 500MWp of controlled capacity in the UK and is aiming to accelerate this growth as the UK emerges as a promising market for solar and renewable generation technologies.
“Similar to us, Lightsource bp shares the same values and commitment to building a brighter future by delivering sustainable renewable solutions for the communities we impact,” said Axel Thiemann, CEO of Sonnedix.
“This will help us deepen our relationships as partners, and further grow our footprint in the local market where we have been present for some time to push the energy transition forward.”
In April, the solar development giant unveiled proposals for a 350MW site in North Anglesey, Wales. The company proposed to fund, develop and build the Môn solar farm, which would be split across three parcels of land in the north east of the island, including on industrial areas around the former Rhosgoch Oil Terminal.
Within the first of these parcels, at the site of the oil terminal, Lightsource bp identified an area for a potential battery storage asset to form part of the project. In the second it identified a potential area for a new 400kv substation, which would connect to existing overhead lines that run from Wylfa to Pentir.
Lightsource bp also secured c.£64.3 million as part of a deal which saw NextEnergy Solar Fund (NESF) acquire 100MWp of UK solar.
“Solar projects, are crucial for a secure, low-cost and lower carbon energy system. One of our key strengths at Lightsource bp is as an enabler of the energy transition by deploying our solar development experience and capability to support growing portfolios of renewables across the world,” said Kareen Boutonnat, CEO for EMEA and APAC at Lightsource bp, said.
“The sale of these assets to Sonnedix demonstrates our strong credentials as a trusted development partner, and transactions like this will catalyse the rapid deployment of renewables as businesses work in partnership to create a more sustainable energy future.”