Global renewable energy company Low Carbon has announced that its 22 MW Fox Covert Solar Farm, located in Buckinghamshire, has begun energisation.
The Fox Covert Solar Farm is the first project to energise in a pipeline of solar and battery projects in excess of 3 GW in the UK as the company develops into a leading independent power producer (IPP) capable of delivering 20 GW of renewable energy capacity globally by 2030.
Fox Covert has the capacity to generate enough renewable energy to power more than 7000 homes and is expected to avoid approximately 4500 tonnes of CO2e emissions annually. The site is also the first to benefit from Low Carbon’s partnership with LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) Education, which aims to inspire and educate children and young people about food, farming and the countryside.
The announcement follows the recent news that Low Carbon secured contracts for ten solar projects with a capacity of 350 MW in the latest CfD allocation round helping to build further momentum for their pipeline in the UK. In the last year the company has raised close to £1 billion in finance to support the wider development of its renewable projects.
Roy Bedlow, founder and chief executive of Low Carbon, said: ‘We are delighted to see Fox Covert Solar Farm come online, which represents a landmark moment in our journey to becoming a global IPP. We are developing renewable energy at scale in the UK and the Fox Covert project will make an important contribution to tackling climate change and enhancing our energy security.’
Jo Nicholson, landowner of Fox Covert Solar Farm, said: ‘As farmers, we have got to bring life back into the farms through regenerative farming, people now understand the need for renewable energy. Having solar on our site, gives us a chance to rest the land and diversify into other farming.’