RWE has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Direct Energy Marketing Limited for the supply of power from RWE’s Canadian Hull solar plant (25 megawatt, MW). The photovoltaic plant, located in Southern Alberta, started commercial operation recently and will now provide an important part of the electricity that Direct Energy needs to supply its Canadian customers with green electricity.
The long-term contract started in early-August 2020 and will run for 10 years. RWE’s solar farm will supply an annual production of up to 50,000 megawatt hours of carbon-free energy and environmental attributes to Direct Energy.
Tom Glover, CCO of RWE Renewables, says: “This PPA allows Direct Energy to supply its customers in Alberta in a climate-friendly manner and illustrates once again that RWE can provide competitive PPAs from our renewable assets across the globe. In this way, we are strengthening our position as one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies in the long run.”
“With increased customer demand for renewables, the addition of 25 MW of solar supply will help Direct Energy Business build renewable power options for our customers and affirms our commitment to provide products and services that lead to a lower carbon future”, says David Brast, Senior Vice President, North America Gas and Power, Direct Energy Business.
“With this deal, we are demonstrating our extensive capabilities as a leading integrated renewables player ranging from project development, construction, operations to commercialization. The contract with Direct Energy illustrates our expertise in marketing green electricity on the basis of bilateral power purchase agreements. Solar energy is already competitive and decreasing prices for equipment will further drive this development in the long term.” Silvia Ortín, COO Wind Onshore and Solar PV Americas of RWE Renewables
Beside the Hull photovoltaic plant (Prairie Sunlight II, 25 MW) RWE is operating a second solar farm nearby in Vauxhall (Prairie Sunlight III, 22 MW). Together the two photovoltaic plants will produce enough green electricity to supply the equivalent of about 12,500 Canadian homes. RWE’s subsidiary BELECTRIC was responsible for the entire construction of the two solar farms.
RWE intends to invest a net €5 billion by 2022 in the continued expansion of renewable energy, with this sum potentially rising significantly via contributions from partners. RWE’s focus for growth is on the core markets of Europe and the Americas as well as on the Asia-Pacific region. In terms of further investments in solar, RWE is actively developing projects in several countries in Europe as well as in North America with a total capacity of more than 5 Gigawatt. In Australia RWE is currently building a large-scale solar farm with 249 MW capacity in New South Wales.
