The 71MWp project, spanning 175 acres near South Ockenden, was acquired by clean energy company Enviromena from NTR in March 2024 and the build out, financed by Close Brothers Energy, commenced in June.

Medebridge is part of Enviromena’s 3GW solar and storage pipeline in the UK and Italy and will supply clean power to the University of Manchester under a Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (cPPA), which is projected to reduce the University’s carbon emissions by 12,000 tonnes per year.

Gary Hales, Enviromena’s Chief Operating Officer, emphasised the project’s significance for decarbonising electricity networks and highlighted the partnership with the University. He said: “The partnership with the University of Manchester holds huge significance because it shows a joint dedication towards sustainability.

“As Medebridge takes its first major step towards completion next year, we’re closer to being able to deliver a large-scale site that will quickly make an impact to significantly reduce carbon emissions.

“Reaching this first major milestone of completing the installation of more than 100,000 modules on such an important project is a testament to the hard work and dedication of Enviromena’s construction team and their commitment has been vital in reaching this point safely and on time.

“Work will continue throughout the challenging winter months as we look towards achieving the next milestones on the project in the new year.

Once complete in 2025, the site will be owned, managed and operated by Enviromena for the project design life of 40 years”.

Enviromena is committed to delivering 500MW of solar power in the UK in the coming years, further contributing to the country’s net-zero targets.