EDF Power Solutions UK has signed two new Corporate Power Purchase Agreements (CPPAs) with BAE Systems and NatWest, allowing both companies to source renewable electricity from the Tye Lane solar farm in Suffolk. The agreements will support the development of the 49.9 MW solar project, which is currently under construction and expected to be completed by Spring 2026. EDF Power Solutions already works closely with both organisations. The company has an existing CPPA with BAE Systems for the Stranoch onshore wind farm in Scotland, as well as a separate CPPA with NatWest for the Porth Wen solar farm in Wales. The two new CPPAs further strengthen these long-standing partnerships.
The CPPAs were facilitated by EDF Business & Wholesale, which will also manage shaping, balancing, and sleeving services to ensure the smooth transfer of electricity generated at Tye Lane into each company’s supply arrangements. Matthieu Hue, CEO of EDF Power Solutions UK, said that the company is pleased to deepen its partnership with BAE Systems and NatWest through these new agreements. He noted that such collaborations are essential in supporting the delivery of major renewable energy projects and advancing the UK’s clean energy transition.
Once operational, the Tye Lane solar farm will play an important role in helping BAE Systems move closer to its target of sourcing 90 percent of its UK and international electricity from renewable sources by 2030. The clean power supplied through the CPPA will meet around 15 percent of BAE Systems’ current electricity demand in the UK. Deborah Allen, Director of Environment, Climate & Infrastructure at BAE Systems, said that the new agreement represents a meaningful step in the company’s efforts to decarbonise its operations. She explained that long-term access to competitive renewable electricity not only helps reduce emissions but also strengthens energy resilience and security.
The CPPA with Tye Lane will also support NatWest in lowering its operational emissions by supplying renewable electricity to its offices and branches across the country. According to Fiona Walmsley, Head of Property Services at NatWest Group, the solar farm will supplement the low-carbon electricity the bank already receives through its agreement with the Porth Wen Solar Farm in North Wales. She added that as a member of The Climate Group’s RE100 programme, NatWest has sourced 100 percent certified renewable electricity across its global operations since 2023. The bank’s CPPAs have played a central role in cutting its operational carbon emissions, contributing to a 50 percent reduction by 2025.
Tom Abbott, PPA Director at EDF Business & Wholesale, highlighted that long-term renewable power contracts bring valuable certainty in a changing energy landscape. By enabling the transfer of clean energy from Tye Lane into the supply agreements of BAE Systems and NatWest, these CPPAs give both organisations the confidence to plan for the future while making steady progress toward their long-term sustainability goals.
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