Canadian Solar energise five 22.9 MWp solar power plants in UK

Canadian Solar, a solar power company, has energised five more solar power plants, totalling 22.9MWp in the UK.

The latest addition has brought the company’s total fleet of existing solar power plants in operation in the UK to 63.1MWp.

Three solar plants – Royston Solar Park, Wick Road Solar Park and Pant-Y-Moch Solar Park- are being developed under the community scheme, with a total commercial component of 14.7MWp energized in the 2015 last quarter, and a total community solar component of 12.5MWp, which is expected to be linked to the grid in the first half of 2016.

The two other solar plants – Long Meadow Solar Farm and Slade Solar Farm, with a total 8.2MWp capacity – were linked to the grid in the last quarter of 2015 under Renewable Obligations Certificate (ROCs) programme.

The five solar plants linked to the grid in the last quarter of 2015 are expected to produce around 23,953MWh of electricity annually, which is expected to reduce around 16,517t of CO2 per year.

Canadian Solar chairman and CEO Shawn Qu said: "We are delighted to announce the grid connection of an additional five projects, bringing our fleet of solar power plants in commercial operation in the UK to 63.1MWp."

Hertfordshire-based Royston Solar Park has a total system size of 10.0MWp, which involves 5.0MWp operational commercial project and a 5.0MWp community project.

Somerset-based Wick Road Solar Park has a total system size of 7.2MWp that includes 4.7MWp operational commercial project and a 2.5MWp community project.

Port Talbot-based Pant-Y-Moch Solar Park has a total system size of 10.0MWp, of which 5.0MWp is commercial project in operation and 5.0MWp is community project.

The community project of these three facilities will be built and energised in the first half of this year.

Long Meadow Solar Farm is situated in Bedfordshire and has a total system size of 4.1MWp and Slade Solar Farm has a total system size of 4.1MWp.

Currently, Canadian Solar has a total late-stage solar project pipeline of 1.4GWp.

The company has completed more than 100MWp of projects in Canada and in the US in the last quarter of 2014.