Voltalia starts building 49.9-MW solar park to supply London business area

French renewable power producer Voltalia SA (EPA:VLTSA) has kicked off the construction of a 49.9-MW solar park that will be supplying clean power to the City of London business district.

South Farm Solar will be capable of producing enough electricity for roughly 15,000 UK homes once it goes online in the course of 2022, Voltalia said on Monday. The photovoltaic (PV) park will operate under a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with the City of London Corporation, the governing body of the prominent business area that is also known as the Square Mile.

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The PPA was signed last November. Thanks to it, more than 50% of the City Corporation’s electricity needs will be covered by solar energy. The power will be used at the municipal authority's Guildhall headquarters, three wholesale markets and the Barbican arts centre.

South Farm Solar will be built near the village of Spetisbury, in South West England's Dorset county.

Local suppliers will be used to execute the project, wherever possible, Voltalia noted.