RES has been awarded a three-year contract to operate and maintain the UK’s largest solar farm which became operational in July of this year.
Located on the north Kent coast, Cleve Hill Solar Park will deliver 373MW of clean, low-cost electricity to more than 100,000 homes annually. The project is set to play a critical role in advancing the UK’s transition to a secure, decarbonised energy system.
Under the agreement RES will provide operations and maintenance services – optimising asset performance, efficiency, and availability by drawing on its proven expertise 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 is designated a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) and received development consent from the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in May 2020. RES, which has now developed more than 28GW of renewable energy projects worldwide, says the UK must continue scaling up projects of this kind to meet its climate and energy security goals.
This contract brings RES’ portfolio of assets under management across the UK and Ireland to 2.5GW – including 2.2GW of solar and 300MW of storage – cementing its position as a leader in clean energy services in the region. It also sees four new team members join RES’ UK operations, further strengthening its local presence and technical capabilities.
The project was constructed on behalf of Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners by Metlen. This marks the first UK collaboration between RES and Metlen, who already work together on projects in Italy, Romania and Australia.
