RES, the world’s largest independent renewable energy firm, has won a three-year deal to run and repair the UK’s largest solar farm, which opened in July this year.
Located on the north Kent coast, Cleve Hill Solar Park will produce 373 MW of affordable, clean electricity to power more than 100,000 homes every year. The project will be playing a key part in the UK’s move towards a secure and decarbonised energy system.
Under this new agreement, RES will oversee operations and maintenance of UK’s largest solar Farm, focusing on maximising asset performance, efficiency, and availability by leveraging its extensive experience in utility-scale solar projects.
Juan Gutiérrez, CEO Services at RES, said: “Securing this contract is a significant milestone that reflects the confidence in our technical teams and our ability to deliver high-quality service on projects of national importance.
“Cleve Hill demonstrates what’s achievable when ambition is matched with delivery. To build on this momentum, we need continued progress on permitting, grid access, and consistent policy support across all markets. With continued support and momentum, projects of this scale will become standard practice in the UK’s energy future.”
Cleve Hill holds the status of a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) and was granted development consent by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in May 2020. RES, having built over 28 GW of renewable energy projects globally, emphasizes the need to grow similar projects across the UK in order to meet its climate and energy security goals.
The transaction takes RES’ managed capacity in the UK and Ireland to 2.5 GW, including 2.2 GW of solar and 300 MW of energy storage, further establishing it as a clean energy services leader in the region. It also adds four new team members to RES’ UK operations, enhancing local expertise and technical capabilities.
Cleve Hill was delivered on schedule by METLEN for Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners. The agreement with RES marks the first UK partnership between RES and METLEN, who already collaborate on projects in Italy, Romania, and Australia.