BayWa r.e. concludes successful 2023 in the UK and Ireland

Driving growth for UK projects

2023 saw the commissioning and opening of the 42 MW Dalquhandy wind farm in South Lanarkshire, as well as the 30 MWp Bracks solar farm in Cambridgeshire. Together, these two projects can produce enough renewable energy to supply 39 000 homes – making a significant contribution to the UK’s Net Zero targets.

Meanwhile, Dalquhandy wind farm was sold to Greencoat UK Wind PLC, making it the sixth wind farm the fund has bought from BayWa r.e. since 2013. The team completed the construction of the 30 MWp Bracks solar farm which was sold to RailPen and also progressed the construction of the hybrid 80 MWp solar and 8 MW battery project Scurf Dyke, which was sold to re:cap global investors. All of these projects will see BayWa r.e.’s Services team deliver the operations management for their respective asset owners.

BayWa r.e.’s UK Project Development team has achieved planning approval for the company’s first standalone battery energy storage project – the 171 MW Meadow Farm in Stockton-on-Tees. This consent was in addition to the 40 MWp Clump solar farm and the 22 MWp Hill solar farm in Leicestershire.

Strengthening operation services’ partnerships

2023 has been a strong year for the Operations business and has seen BayWa r.e strengthen partnerships with Schroders Greencoat with the signing of long-term O&M contracts to manage assets for a 265 MWp solar portfolio in the UK. The team has also signed long-term PV contracts with Octopus Energy to take on a total of 97 MWp in managed solar assets; enough green energy to power 22 500 homes, as well as the operations and maintenance of the 15 MWp Bryn-yr-Odyn solar farm in North Wales.

Sustainability and corporate responsibility have played a significant role for the operation services business this year with all employees contributing over 400 hours to more than 20 charities across the UK, including soup kitchens, beach and river clean-ups, food bank centres, and tree planting, as well as supporting homeless charities and hospices.

Success in Ireland

BayWa r.e. has had a transformative year in Ireland in 2023. After officially opening new offices in Cork in late 2022, the team has now submitted its first planning application for the 60 MWp Springmount solar farm project to Tipperary County Council, with a decision expected in early 2024. BayWa r.e.’s Irish team is currently looking at submitting several other solar and wind projects into the planning system next year.

Christine McGregor, Managing Director for BayWa r.e. in the UK and Ireland, said: “2023 would not have been as successful for us without the fantastic efforts of our team. They continue to set higher standards in the renewable energy industry, despite a challenging policy and regulatory environment. We are looking forward to continuing our work on innovative solutions to meet those challenges in the new year in our pursuit to shape the future of green energy in the UK and Ireland.”

Morgan Harris, Managing Director at BayWa r.e. Operation Services Ltd, added: “It’s been a strong year for the operations services business. Not only have we driven value for our partners across our O&M portfolio, we have also doubled down on our CSR efforts, making important contributions to local communities across the UK. We look forward to the coming year as we renew our focus on repowering and revamping, which is becoming increasingly important to the long-term success of the UK renewables industry.”

Looking ahead to 2024

Looking ahead to 2024, BayWa r.e. is anticipating commercialising more projects across the UK. The project management team is currently well into construction of the 43.2 MW Broken Cross wind farm project in South Lanarkshire, and has commenced construction of the 46 MWp Driffield solar farm project, as well as energising of the hybrid 80 MWp Scurf Dyke solar farm and BESS project, both located in the East Riding of Yorkshire. These developments are all making significant contributions to delivering a pipeline of 3.35 GW across the UK and Ireland in the coming years.

2024 is set to be an important year for the PV repowering and revamping business as the Operation Services team gears up to deliver several exciting projects for both existing and new customers, bolstering BayWa r.e.’s commitment to making the green energy revolution across the UK a reality. The team currently delivers a wide range of O&M, as well as commercial and technical asset management services to a managed portfolio of over 1.9 GW, comprising wind, solar and BESS projects in the UK.

For more news and technical articles from the global renewable industry, read the latest issue of Energy Global magazine.

Energy Global's Winter 2023 issue

The Winter 2023 issue of Energy Global hosts an array of technical articles weather analysis, geothermal solutions, energy storage technology, and more. This issue also features a regional report looking at the future of renewables in North America, and a report from Théodore Reed-Martin, Editorial Assistant, Energy Global, on how Iceland utilises its unique geology for renewable energy.

Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/solar/21122023/baywa-re-concludes-successful-2023-in-the-uk-and-ireland/