Severn Trent Green Power unveils plans to build three new solar farms - BusinessGreen

Severn Trent Green Power unveils plans to build three new solar farms | BusinessGreen News

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Firm specialising in creating green energy from food and garden waste to build new solar farms capable of powering 70,000 homes a year

Severn Trent Green Power (STGP) has set out plans to build three new large-scale solar farms, with potential for a fourth, in an effort to generate enough green electricity to power an estimated 70,000 homes a year.

The company has inked a development rights deal with international solar firm Elgin Energy, which would see STGP increase its overall renewable output from around 350GWh per year to around 500GWh.

New solar farms in Leicestershire, Warwickshire and North Yorkshire are expected to add around 150GWh of generation a year to the national grid, rising to more than 185GWh once a fourth solar farm in Shropshire is energised.

The projects are said to be "ready to build" and already include grid connection contracts, planning consents, and land leases that would allow STGP to build, own, and operate the solar farms.

As well as managing 33 solar arrays, currently generating 16GWh every year, STGP also uses anaerobic digestion and in-vessel composting to transform food and garden waste into green gas and electricity while creating by-products such as bio-fertiliser for use in agriculture.

"While anaerobic digestion remains a core focus of our business, we recognise the significant potential of solar, wind, and hydro power," said Farryad Ishaq, strategy and business development director at the company. "This deal represents a big step forward in our ambition to power the UK towards a cleaner and more sustainable future."

Renewable energy plays a significant role in STGP parent company Severn Trent's Triple Carbon Pledge, a commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of the group - which also includes Severn Trent Water, Severn Trent Services, Severn Trent Connect and water company Hafren Dyfrdwy - to zero, roll out a company-wide fleet of electric vehicles, and use only 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030.

Ronan Kilduff, CEO of Elgin, said the firm's latest partnership embodied a shared commitment to a low-carbon future. "We are proud to support Severn Trent Green Power in its ambitious move towards a diversified renewable energy portfolio," he said.

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