An unbuilt Aberdeenshire solar farm has changed hands as part of an £85 million green energy investment.
The location has not been identified by the two firms involved in the deal.
But it is believed to be Cullerlie, near Echt, which is earmarked for a 13 megawatt (MW) solar farm.
The development is expected to transform enough north-east sunshine into power for about 3,000 homes every year. And, according to solar energy developer Elgin Energy, the total generating capacity would also be enough to fuel 4,000 electric cars annually.
Cullerlie expected to offset around 7,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions
It is thought Elgin Energy has sold Cullerlie to utility Pennon Group in one of the largest solar PV (photovoltaic) portfolio deals in the UK this year.
The portfolio consists of three ready-to-build projects with generating capacities ranging from 15 MW to 50 MW, with a combined capacity of 100MW.
Cullerlie is expected to offset around 7,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.
London, Dublin and Sydney-based Elgin Energy has also previously highlighted its low impact on livestock farming, saying sheep will be able to graze between the solar panels.
Planning permission for the project was granted in November 2021.
In terms of scale, Cullerlie will be on a par with Scotland’s largest solar energy farm.
But much larger schemes around the country are in the pipeline.
These include a 50MW project on a former military airfield at Milltown, near Elgin, and an even bigger 60MW development, Frodo, near Crimond in Aberdeenshire.
A 1.8MW solar farm at the Aberdeenshire home of Mackie’s of Scotland is already helping to produce award-winning ice-cream and chocolate.
Two English sites also sold
London-listed Pennon hailed its deal with Elgin Energy as a key part of its ambition to “accelerate the achievement of our 2030 net-zero commitment”.
But it declined to say whether the Aberdeenshire project is Cullerlie.
The other two projects are in Cumbria and Buckinghamshire.
Together, the three new developments are expected to generate more than 95 gigawatt (GW)-hours of electricity annually.
We are excited about this milestone and the positive impact it will have on our mission to achieve a greener, more sustainable world.”
Susan Davy, chief executive, Pennon Group.
The acquisition and expected build costs for all three schemes total about £85m
It is anticipated the solar farms will start generating power during 2025.
Pennon expects them to deliver “attractive commercial returns”, while also boosting the group’s energy security and resilience by reducing its exposure to volatility in wholesale power markets.
Susan Davy, chief executive, Pennon, added: “We are excited about this milestone and the positive impact it will have on our mission to achieve a greener, more sustainable world.”
Elgin Energy failed to respond to inquiries about the Aberdeenshire location.
It said all three projects would play a “pivotal role” in contributing towards the UK’s 2050 net-zero strategy.
They will not only generate low cost and low carbon electricity, but also deliver “significant regional economic development” and zero-carbon electricity to homes across the UK, the firm added.