AMPYR Solar Europe (ASE), a pan-European solar developer, and Edinburgh Airport Limited today announce the signing of a deal to develop a new solar farm linked with battery technology and electric vehicle charging infrastructure at Scotland’s busiest airport.
Under the agreement, ASE along with its local construction partner, Absolute Solar & Wind will build approximately 9MW of solar PV, 1.5MW of battery storage and 40 EV charging points. The large ground-mounted solar PV system and battery will be situated next to the runway on a 16-acre plot of land, connected to the airport via a high voltage private wire network.
The development will be a cornerstone of Edinburgh Airport’s goal to achieve Net-Zero by 2040 by generating clean, renewable energy that will cover about 30% of the airport’s total consumption.
“Our commitment to a net zero future is underpinned by the various strands of work we have going on across the airport as part of our Greater Good sustainability strategy and one of the most visible projects will be this solar farm,” said Gordon Dewar, Edinburgh Airport’s Chief Executive. “We are happy to confirm our partners in this exciting step and our collaboration will enable us to implement this technology and allow us and Scotland to benefit from it as soon as possible.”
The project is in the late stage of design, with construction planned to start this summer and be fully operational by the start of next year.
“We are really pleased to be partnering with Edinburgh Airport on this important step towards a net-zero future and in support of its impressive “Greater Good” sustainability strategy,” said Andrew Gould, Executive Chairman of ASE. “Edinburgh Airport’s leadership shows a way forward to zero carbon for the airport sector. This is the first of ASE’s five renewable energy projects in Scotland to reach the delivery stage: the commitment and support of the Scottish Government and its strong policy position on climate change is clearly attractive to international investment.”
Edinburgh Airport will purchase the power produced by the solar farm through a long-term Power Purchase Agreement with ASE. This PPA will generate long-term energy and carbon savings for the airport.
“We are delighted to suppor Edinburgh Airport with its ongoing drive to reduce its carbon impact,” said Matthew van Staden, Senior PPA Originator at Hartree Partners. “Through our expertise within Hartree and AMPYR Solar Europe, we can drive and deliver innovative energy solutions for companies within energy-intensive sectors. Our understanding of sustainable generation and commercially viable strategies in this space helped bring this project to life for Edinburgh Airport.”
The construction is further supported by the Scottish Government’s Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme, which have provided a grant for a portion of the capital expenditure.
“We are proud to be delivering this pioneering project and helping to decarbonise Edinburgh Airport alongside our funding partners ASE and the Edinburgh Airport project team,” said Tom Newall, Managing Director at Absolute Solar & Wind. “The co-location of utility scale battery storage and solar PV has enabled us to maximise the green energy generation on site whilst working with the grid connection constraints. We look forward to entering the construction phase before progressing to carry out the operation, maintenance and optimisation of the system, as it generates clean power for years to come, providing energy security for a major, Scottish transport hub.”
About EAL
Edinburgh Airport is Scotland’s busiest airport, welcoming more than 14.7 million people through the doors in 2019. It is also the 6th busiest airport in the UK. As the place where Scotland meets the World, we fly to more than 150 destinations and work with 40 airlines to welcome people to Scotland and take Scotland to the world. Edinburgh Airport is owned by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a leading global, independent infrastructure investor. https://corporate.edinburghairport.com/
About AMPYR Solar Europe
Headquartered in London and Maastricht, AMPYR Solar Europe (“ASE”) was created through the merger of NaGa Solar with the existing Ampyr Energy UK solar joint venture between AGP and Hartree Partners, to create a major European Solar Enterprise with a combined pipeline of over 5GW of large-scale solar projects in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands. ASE brings together AGP’s experience in developing large-scale renewable power projects, Hartree’s cutting edge power trading analytics and zero-carbon solutions with NaGa’s in-depth local knowledge and land development capability. Combining these complementary skills will speed up the build out of solar capacity and offers an attractive opportunity for institutional investors to deploy capital. https://www.ampyrenergy.com/global-reach-europe/
About Hartree Partners
Hartree Partners is a global energy and commodities trading company, with decades of experience in the physical and financial energy and commodities markets. Hartree is at the forefront of finding investment solutions, consulting, and generating sustainable and commercially viable strategies for energy renewal and regeneration. The company has an extensive portfolio including midstream natural gas, oil assets, power generation, renewables, and environmental products. Hartree’s rigorous research, analytical approach, and entrepreneurial culture have contributed to its strong track record and growth. www.hartreepartners.com
About Absolute Solar & Wind
Absolute Solar and Wind is a leading renewable energy solutions specialist providing design, installation and maintenance services for commercial, industrial and utility energy projects, primarily in the solar sector. Established in 2007, the business is headquartered in Loch Lomond, Scotland, but serves customers and projects throughout the UK. Absolute focuses on integrating commercial scale renewable generators to supply on site loads for high energy users. This involves working on sensitive and secure live sites with complex grid connection or private wire arrangements. https://www.absolutesolarandwind.co.uk/
About LCITP funding
The project benefits from receiving a grant from the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme (LCITP) that supports Scotland’s transition to a low-carbon economy. The programme endeavours to create the conditions that attract commercial investment in innovative low-carbon infrastructure projects. It also aims to contribute towards reducing Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions. https://www.gov.scot/policies/renewable-and-low-carbon-energy/low-c arbon-infrastructure-transition-programme/
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