Power Technology

Daily Newsletter

08 August 2023

Daily Newsletter

SSE Renewables begins solar plant construction in Worcestershire, UK

The 31MW Littleton Pastures solar project is expected to begin operations in 2024.

SSE Renewables, a renewables subsidiary of Scottish energy company SSE, has begun construction of the 31MW Littleton Pastures solar project near the town of Evesham, Worcestershire, in the UK.

SSE Renewables’ solar and battery division selected Grupotec, a Spanish construction company, as the civil contractor for the project.

Construction has now started at the 77-acre site and the solar project is expected to begin operations in 2024. The project will generate enough clean energy to power 9,400 households.

Stark Energy, a Liverpool-based clean energy developer, initially advanced the project, which was acquired by SSE in January 2022 for an undisclosed amount.

SSE Renewables, solar and battery director Richard Cave-Bigley stated: “I am delighted that we have now moved into the construction phase of our first solar project at Littleton Pastures and to be working alongside our partners Grupotec.

“Connecting more renewable power to the grid is vital for the UK’s energy security and net-zero targets. We are looking forward to delivering more solar and battery projects across the UK, Ireland and Europe in the years to come.”

The solar project is part of SSE’s plans to invest £40bn ($50.92bn) in low-carbon energy projects in the years up to 2031/32.

The projects will be fully funded under an £18bn five-year investment plan until 2027. The company will also create more than 1,000 new jobs annually.

Grupotec vice-president César Moreyra stated: “We are grateful to have had the opportunity to collaborate on this exciting renewable energy project at Littleton Pastures.

“The construction of this solar facility is an important step towards creating a more sustainable future and we are proud to be involved in its construction.”

ESG 2.0 marks a shift towards stricter environmental rules

ESG is moving into a different era, which we call ESG 2.0. While ESG 1.0 was driven by voluntary corporate action, spurred by pressure from activist consumers and investors, ESG 2.0 is being driven by a new wave of government policies. The EU has taken the regulatory lead, with rules introduced or in the pipeline that will price emissions, regulate the use of the terms ‘ESG’ and ‘sustainability’ in marketing materials, and make ESG reporting mandatory. The US has taken a different approach, favoring less regulation and more financial support in the form of tax breaks for clean industry (renewables plus nuclear and hydrogen). China is planning to expand its emissions trading system to more sectors, decarbonize its heavy industry, and ramp up its use of renewables. The new policy direction is mainly motivated by the ambition to hit net zero emissions targets. But on top of this, governments are now competing for clean industry and trying to challenge China’s leadership on the production of the world’s green technologies such as solar panels and batteries, as well as the production and refinement of materials needed for energy transition such as lithium. These driving forces are leading to policy that will impact every sector, not just heavy industry, and will keep ESG near the top of the regulatory agenda over the longer term.