Newcastle based Engenera Renewables Group, a specialist in renewable energy and decarbonisation strategies, has partnered with renewables investment trust Atrato Onsite Energy to deliver the 20MW solar project it is working on for Nissan.
The deal will see Atrato Onsite Energy acquire the Engenera Renewables Group-owned development company Hylton Plantation Solar Farm – a special purpose vehicle formed to deliver the project, located within Nissan’s manufacturing facility in Sunderland, England – in a £10.475M transaction.
The behind-the-meter private wire solar installation, which will use 36,748 panels, was started late last year, with Engenera Renewables Group carrying out considerable design development and site clearance works to prepare the site for construction of the solar array. As the project progresses, Engenera will retain responsibility for undertaking the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and operations and maintenance (O&M) contracts for the installation and maintenance of the solar PV system.
The project represents an important milestone for Nissan on its EV36Zero project and the company’s journey to carbon neutrality. The motor manufacturer’s goal is to be carbon neutral across the life cycle of its products by 2050.
The new installation will create enough renewable electricity generated at Nissan’s Sunderland plant to supply 20% of the plant’s needs – enough to build every 100% electric Nissan LEAF sold in Europe.
The project also marks a step towards developing Sunderland as a leading UK city for low-carbon technology and production and create many high-skilled jobs in the area.
Lloyd Lawson, Chief Strategy Officer, Engenera, said:
“The Nissan solar installation is a massive project and hugely important for a number of reasons. It represents the largest private wire installation Engenera has worked on to date, and also gives Nissan a big boost towards achieving its goals of becoming completely carbon neutral across the life cycle of its products by fiscal year 2050.
“This investment by Atrato Onsite Energy ensures the long-term certainty of the scheme. It means all parties are getting what they need from the project. We now look forward to finalising this installation and working closely with Nissan on future projects.”
Bryan Glendinning, CEO Engenera Renewables Group, added:
“This installation at Nissan is a very exciting project for us, here at Engenera, and significant praise should go to our Chief Technical Officer, Luke Lobo, for his incredible work in getting the project to financial close.
“However, it’s not the only large-scale project we are in the process of delivering. Engenera is already working on the development of over 350MWs of similar utility scale projects throughout the UK and will be starting to deliver these over the coming months.”
Engenera Renewables Group works with clients on a range of renewable technologies including commercial solar PV and battery storage, air and ground source heat pumps, combined heat and power, electric vehicle charging points and LED lighting.
