Introduction
Pathfinder Clean Energy (PACE), a UK-headquartered international developer of utility scale solar and battery storage projects, has completed the community consultation and will shortly submit a planning application for a 25MWp solar farm, its largest UK subsidy-free solar project to date. The proposed ground-mounted scheme is located near Attleborough, 15 miles south-west of Norwich.
The planning submission for Attleborough closely follows applications made by PACE for two other solar projects in Norfolk (at Three Bridges and Burgate (40MWp total), announced 12th October). Subject to planning and financing, Attleborough and the two other projects (totalling 63MWp) are earmarked to enter operation during the second half of next year (2021).
Each of the three projects have the ability to co-locate battery storage.
Alex Ross, Director of PACE Developments in the UK said: ‘Our project pipeline for utility-scale solar in the UK is growing, and where the economics stand-up we will co-locate battery storage. Our three Norfolk projects underline the PACE team’s capabilities in site identification and project design, utilizing the very latest advances in technology.”
“The projects give us a strong platform to grow our UK capacity to 300MW over the next three years, and will complement our current operations and portfolio in Spain and Canada, and in due course Poland.”
Last month, PACE published details of a proposed 47MW solar farm project in Alberta, Canada. This is also scheduled to enter construction during 2021, subject to planning and financing.
Evaluating the advances in solar technologies and design is a key focus of PACE’s technical department in the UK and overseas.
Aitor Larrucea, Technical Director of PACE, said: “PACE is continuously analysing the latest technologies and advances in the solar and cleaqn energy sector. Our target is to exponentially increase the revenues of our projects and continue to innovate as advances are made.”
One example of PACE’s technical approach is the application of bifacial technology for their projects. PACE’s own calculations, drawing from studies by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, point towards a 9% uplift in electricity production compared to traditional PV technologies.
PACE is also studying the implications of providing flexibility to its electricity generation profile through the storage technology.
Aitor Larrucea added: “In line with International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) considerations, we consider energy storage technology directly integrated and communicating with the solar generation asset to be a fundamental part of the future clean energy market.”
Pathfinder Clean Energy (PACE) is an international clean energy developer and investor established in 2017 and currently operating in Spain, Canada and the UK and with ongoing business development in other growth markets.
PACE’s team brings over 40 years and 1GW of experience from across the asset cycle – from development to financing, construction and operation.
PACE uses the latest cloud-based proprietary technology to collaborate across global markets and projects to enable its projects to deliver competitive power prices under PPAs or bids into government auctions.
PACE currently has a development pipeline of over 1GW of solar projects across its international markets. The company also has solar projects at an advanced stage of development in Canada and Spain, and is soon to start development operations in Poland.
PACE’s understanding and management of the complete life cycle of a project provides a route to deploying capital at scale and across multiple international clean energy markets.
For communications related to this announcement:
Paul Taylor, Taylor Keogh Communications – +44 (0)20 8392 8250 / paul@taylorkeogh.com
For general enquiries about Pathfinder Clean Energy::
Pathfinder Clean Energy – Contact: Ben Chippendale
Tel +44 (0)20 7127 4542
press@pathfinderce.com