Quinbrook begins construction of Cleve Hill Solar and Storage project in UK

Claimed as the United Kingdom's largest consented solar and battery storage project, Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners has announced construction start of the Cleve Hill project. The site is expected to be fully completed by the end of 2024.

Located in Kent, the project involves 373MW of solar and over 150 MW of battery energy storage capacity. Cleve Hill is expected to generate enough renewable power each year to meet the power needs of over 100,000 UK homes and help reduce carbon emissions by 164,450 tonnes every year, according to the developer.

The large-scale of the hybrid project is set to provide a meaningful contribution to improving energy security for the United Kingdom and further decarbonize the power grid, helping to progress the country's journey to net zero, the company adds. 

"High energy prices, geopolitical instability and the UK's ambitious Net Zero goals are bringing into focus the critical need to accelerate the building of the next generation of energy transition infrastructure in the UK", said Rory Quinlan, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Quinbrook. 

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"In our view, large scale solar + battery storage projects are key to achieving the decarbonization imperatives of the energy transition the world over and we are doing our best to create a blueprint for more projects to come here in the UK. Just as importantly, we are committed to doing this in a way that is truly impactful in supporting jobs and delivering a range of tangible benefits to the local community", he added. 

Quinbrook claims to be focused on opportunities arising from the accelerating energy transition to decarbonize the UK's power system by 2035. The company views the need for new supply and grid support infrastructure as an important opportunity to deliver measurable ESG impact from asset creation and optimization, which it considers fundamental to any 'high impact' focused investment thesis.