About Twitch Hill Solar Farm
Construction is underway on the 27MW Twitch Hill Solar Farm, situated on 36ha of primarily Grade 3b agricultural land between Lilleshall and Newport. The clean energy generated will go to a corporate off-taker, as part of a sleeved physical corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA).
The area has not been utilised for crops and will now be repurposed for the solar park. To maximise land use, sheep will graze the land beneath and between the proposed solar arrays.
The project received planning permission in July 2022 for a solar facility that delivers clean, renewable energy to the grid, providing the equivalent electricity for approximately 5,750 homes per year, saving potentially 8,150 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually from power generation alone.
In addition to clean, renewable energy, the project will provide nearly 3.5km of new hedgerow with further mitigation and enhancement measures in place. The proposed design includes a species-rich wildflower meadow as well as rewilding and strategic tree planting that will create new habitats for farmland and woodland bird species and deliver a significant biodiversity net gain across the wider site.
Project timeline
The acquisition of Twitch Hill Solar Farm:
On 31st March 2023, Lynher Energy purchased the 26.1MW solar farm in Shropshire from the owner and landlord Cheswell Grange.
Lynher Energy is a joint venture between Napier Park Global Capital (a leading alternative credit and real asset manager) and Ethical Power (the UK’s only vertically integrated renewable energy company) and focuses on developing and managing solar power generation and battery storage facilities.
Chris Sparrow, Principal at Napier Park, comments: “We were pleased to have successfully completed the transaction with Low Carbon Alliance and Cheswell Grange. This acquisition aligns with our long-term business strategy of investment in sustainable green infrastructure and Twitch Hill Solar Farm is a valuable addition to our expanding solar and battery storage portfolio in the UK. We are excited to continue our collaboration with Ethical Power to ensure the highest quality build of the project and maximize the value of our investment.”
About Low Carbon Alliance
Low Carbon Alliance is a professional Chartered Surveying and Engineering Consultancy, specialising in the space where property meets energy. The team of professionals have over 50 years of combined experience in commercial property development, investment and refurbishment as well as the development of building-integrated and stand-alone renewable and reserve power, low-carbon energy plants and energy storage facilities. It is proud to be the first solar developer to be audited against the Building with Nature (BwN) standards.
About Lynher Energy
Lynher Energy is the joint venture established by Napier Park Global Capital and Ethical Power to invest in large-scale solar and battery storage assets in the UK and Europe. The combination of Napier Park’s extensive experience in sponsoring industry-leading joint ventures combined with Ethical Power’s capabilities and knowledge in the development, construction, operation and maintenance of large and complex solar projects offers the ability to develop high-quality, valuable assets while pursuing a long-term goal of reducing carbon consumption and transitioning toward green energy resources.