373 MW Cleve Hill Solar Park begins commercial operations in the United Kingdom

Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners announces full operational launch of Cleve Hill Solar Park, now becoming the largest active photovoltaic power plant in the United Kingdom with a total installed capacity reaching 373 MW.

Share:

Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, a global investment manager specialised in infrastructure dedicated to energy transition, has confirmed the start of commercial operations at the Cleve Hill Solar Park located in Kent, United Kingdom, boasting a total capacity of 373 megawatts (MW).

A major solar project for the United Kingdom

Cleve Hill Park is now exporting at full capacity, with its 373 MW direct current (DC), more than four times the size of the second largest operational British solar project. During the commissioning phase in May, the park’s peak electricity export level equated to 0.7% of the UK’s national energy demand.

This project was the first solar and battery storage asset to be approved as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP). It benefits from the largest combined solar plus battery energy storage system (BESS) financing ever achieved in the United Kingdom, including a GBP 218.5 million (USD 276 million) term loan and a GBP 20 million (USD 25 million) VAT facility secured from Lloyds and NatWest banks.

Construction of the country’s largest energy storage facility

In parallel, construction work is underway on a co-located battery energy storage system with a capacity of 150 MW. Upon completion, this will become the largest combined solar and storage project ever built within the British power market.

Cleve Hill is also the first solar NSIP in the country to have secured a Contract for Difference (CfD), awarded by the UK Government-backed Low Carbon Contracts Company. This award represents the largest allocation for a solar project in Round 4 of the CfD auction scheme.

Strategic commercial partnerships

Additionally, Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners has signed a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Tesco PLC, representing the largest corporate solar PPA agreement signed to date in the UK.

Cleve Hill Solar Park, developed in partnership with Private Energy Partners, is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 142,000 tonnes in its first year of operations. Local socio-economic impact is anticipated to exceed GBP 114 million (USD 144 million) throughout the project’s lifetime, supporting more than 2,500 direct and indirect jobs.

Rory Quinlan, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Quinbrook, said: “Quinbrook is proud to have successfully delivered a strategic infrastructure project playing a tangible role in the UK energy transition. Achievements like Cleve Hill set a new scale benchmark and should strengthen confidence that the UK’s renewable energy objectives can be met.”

Sunrun announced the pricing of its $431 million securitization, involving leases and power purchase agreements. This marks the company’s 14th public securitization and its third of 2025.
Resalta has completed the acquisition of Statkraft’s Croatian platform, expanding its presence in renewable energy across Eastern Europe, with a portfolio of projects and a full local team.
Gaia Renewables 1 has acquired a 10% stake in two solar power plants in the Northern Cape, following regulatory approval and financial close, strengthening its portfolio of independent assets.
Dutch firm Gutami Holding has signed a 25-year agreement with Burkina Faso and national utility SONABEL for a 150 MW solar project with 50 MW storage, valued at over €100mn ($109mn).
SOFAZ acquires 49% of a 14-plant solar portfolio held by Enfinity Global in Lazio and Emilia-Romagna, reinforcing its long-term stable investment strategy.
Entech spent €1.4mn to acquire a portfolio of photovoltaic projects under development across southern and central France, marking a first move in its external growth strategy following a recent capital increase.
A guarantee operation orchestrated by the World Bank targets the expansion of distributed energy solutions across nearly twenty African markets, involving a project portfolio led by CrossBoundary Energy and a financial collaboration with Standard Bank South Africa.
Facing chronic power outages, South African households are increasingly turning to solar self-generation, jeopardizing Eskom's pricing model and widening energy-access inequalities between affluent neighborhoods and disadvantaged areas.
Sol Systems has secured a $675mn credit facility to accelerate the development of 500 MW of solar and storage projects in Illinois, Ohio and Texas, backed by an international banking consortium.
The rapid rise of solar energy is disrupting Pakistan’s electricity sector, forcing the government to revise its tariff policy and introduce new taxes on solar panel imports.
Sabanci Renewables announces the acquisition of the Texan solar project Pepper from OCI Energy, strengthening its US portfolio to 660 MW and paving the way for an increase to 3 GW by 2030.
The results of recent Polish auctions reveal a predominance of photovoltaic solar, with 178 projects selected and a total capacity of 1.67 GW, while other segments found no takers.
The National Solar Energy Federation, launched on 21 June and formalised on 14 July, brings together installers, equipment suppliers and financiers to defend photovoltaics against political criticism as Paris prepares a new energy roadmap.
A $60mn subordinated loan will speed delivery of equipment for a 223 MWp solar-storage plant serving the Kamoa-Kakula copper complex, deepening the financial partnership between CrossBoundary Energy and Standard Bank South Africa.
New York developer DESRI, together with utility El Paso Electric, starts construction of the 150 MWac Santa Teresa solar complex and its 600 MWh storage system, financed by an international banking consortium.
Renewable developer Geronimo Power begins construction of the 250 MW Portage Solar park, expected to generate more than $100 mn in cumulative economic impact in Wisconsin, according to a news release issued on July 15 by PR Newswire.
African Trade & Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI) provides a liquidity guarantee to the Sokodé solar project, facilitating private financing for a 62 MW plant dedicated to Compagnie Énergie Électrique du Togo.
Three major players commit to developing five solar plants and two wind farms, with commissioning scheduled between 2027 and 2028 as part of Saudi Arabia’s national programme.
SAEL Industries will invest $954mn in a solar factory in Greater Noida, boosting Indian manufacturing capacity and supporting the national strategy to localise photovoltaic component production.
Global photovoltaic inverter shipments increased by 10% in 2024, driven by the Asia-Pacific region, which accounts for nearly seven out of ten shipments, while China consolidates its influence on the sector.