Severn Trent Green Power Announces Ambitious Plans for Three New Solar Farms

A company specializing in transforming food and garden waste into green energy is set to construct new solar farms capable of powering 70,000 homes annually. Severn Trent Green Power (STGP) has announced plans for three large-scale solar farms, with the potential for a fourth, to generate sufficient green electricity for this ambitious target.

STGP has signed a development rights agreement with international solar firm Elgin Energy to boost its renewable output from approximately 350GWh per year to around 500GWh.

The new solar farms in Leicestershire, Warwickshire, and North Yorkshire are expected to contribute around 150GWh annually to the national grid, potentially increasing to over 185GWh with a fourth farm in Shropshire.

These projects are described as "ready to build," with grid connection contracts, planning consents, and land leases already in place. This enables STGP to construct, own, and operate the solar farms seamlessly.

In addition to managing 33 existing solar arrays that produce 16GWh annually, STGP employs anaerobic digestion and in-vessel composting to convert food and garden waste into green gas and electricity, creating by-products such as bio-fertilizer for agricultural use.

"While anaerobic digestion remains a core focus of our business, we recognise the significant potential of solar, wind, and hydro power," said Farryad Ishaq, strategy and business development director at the company. "This deal represents a big step forward in our ambition to power the UK towards a cleaner and more sustainable future."

Renewable energy is critical to STGP's parent company, Severn Trent's Triple Carbon Pledge. This commitment aims to reduce the group's carbon footprint—which includes Severn Trent Water, Severn Trent Services, Severn Trent Connect, and water company Hafren Dyfrdwy—to zero, deploy a company-wide fleet of electric vehicles, and utilize 100% renewable energy by 2030.

Ronan Kilduff, CEO of Elgin, said the firm's latest partnership embodied a shared commitment to a low-carbon future. "We are proud to support Severn Trent Green Power in its ambitious move towards a diversified renewable energy portfolio," he said.