The tender will provide 10% of of TfL's required electricity use. Image: Transport for London.
A power purchase agreement (PPA) tender has been launched by the Mayor of London as part of ambitions to power the Tube network with 100% renewable electricity.
This first tender is aiming to purchase approximately 10% of Transport for London’s (TfL) required electricity from renewable energy sources and new build assets.
As it stands, TfL requires 1.6TWh per year, with the Mayor stating that its large demand for renewable electricity will help increase demand for new solar and wind generation in the UK, with this in turn creating new green jobs and supporting the economy.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “The cost of inaction to our economies, livelihoods, the environment and the health of Londoners is far greater than the cost of transitioning to net-zero - and we simply don’t have time to waste.
"This first step to powering the Tube network and TfL’s wider operations with 100% renewable source electricity is another crucial part of reducing carbon emissions and building a better, greener London for everyone.”
The tender follows TfL launching a market test into supplying rail services with renewable power directly from generators through PPAs in 2020, while in 2018 it signed a deal with Engie to install 1.1MW of solar PV on a variety of its buildings, including bus stations and offices.
It comes as the Mayor also announces that London has signed the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, a global plan to phase out fossil fuels production and accelerate a just and fair transition to clean energy.