Work on a major solar farm project in Pembrokeshire will commence shortly after coming under new ownership.
Shawton Energy will develop the 8.6 megawatt solar scheme after acquiring it from One Planet Developments. The value of the deal has not been disclosed.
Located in south Pembrokeshire the project, which will consist of more than 14,000 solar panels, received planning consent last year from Pembrokeshire County Council.
Shawton Energy said the solar farm, at West Farm, Cosheston, near Pembroke Dock, is expected to start clean energy generation later this year.
At capacity it will produce enough green electricity to power 2,500 homes per year, saving over 2,000 tonnes of carbon annually.
Chief executive of Merseyside-based Shawton Energy, Jamie Shaw, said: "The acquisition of this ready-to-build asset from One Planet is a major milestone for Shawton Energy, as we continue to support British businesses in meeting their sustainability targets whilst reducing their energy costs.
“We’ve been growing our on-site generation PPA (power purchase agreement) portfolio for almost 10 years and are pleased to expand our local and renewable electricity generation offering. True to our strategy, this project will support our corporate and industrial clients in their cost reduction and environmental programmes.
“This is an exciting opportunity to further build, strengthen and diversify our existing solar portfolio. It demonstrates our commitment to expanding small-scale distributed infrastructure and supporting national and corporate renewable energy targets.”
In 2023, Shawton Energy established a partnership with a fund managed by Lazard Asset Management to accelerate the deployment of fully funded solar photovoltaic projects for industrial and commercial clients across the Ƶ.
Robert Wall, head of sustainable private Infrastructure at Lazard Asset Management (director of Shawton Energy), said: “We are committed to supporting the development of local, distributed and sustainable energy and we are pleased to be further supporting Shawton Energy in its continued growth and local investments.
“We recognise the critical role that diverse forms of renewable energy have in meeting the rising demand for electricity, and this Welsh project provides a clear opportunity to provide Ƶ businesses with the low-cost energy they need to grow.”
James Stoney, business development director at One Planet Developments, said: “We are very pleased to have worked with Shawton Energy on this fantastic project. Having developed the site from scratch through to ready-to-build stage, we look forward to seeing Shawton Energy build, own and operate it.”
