AGP Sustainable Real Assets and Hartree Partners Announce US Expansion of Global Solar Partnership

AMPYR Solar Europe (ASE), a pan-European solar developer, and Edinburgh Airport Limited today announce the signing of a deal to develop a new solar farm linked with battery technology and electric vehicle charging infrastructure at Scotland’s busiest airport.

Under the agreement, ASE along with its local construction partner, Absolute Solar & Wind will build approximately 9MW of solar PV, 1.5MW of battery storage and 40 EV charging points. The large ground-mounted solar PV system and battery will be situated next to the runway on a 16-acre plot of land, connected to the airport via a high voltage private wire network.

The development will be a cornerstone of Edinburgh Airport’s goal to achieve Net-Zero by 2040 by generating clean, renewable energy that will cover about 30% of the airport’s total consumption.

“Our commitment to a net zero future is underpinned by the various strands of work we have going on across the airport as part of our Greater Good sustainability strategy and one of the most visible projects will be this solar farm,” said Gordon Dewar, Edinburgh Airport’s Chief Executive. “We are happy to confirm our partners in this exciting step and our collaboration will enable us to implement this technology and allow us and Scotland to benefit from it as soon as possible.”

The project is in the late stage of design, with construction planned to start this summer and be fully operational by the start of next year.

“We are really pleased to be partnering with Edinburgh Airport on this important step towards a net-zero future and in support of its impressive “Greater Good” sustainability strategy,” said Andrew Gould, Executive Chairman of ASE. “Edinburgh Airport’s leadership shows a way forward to zero carbon for the airport sector. This is the first of ASE’s five renewable energy projects in Scotland to reach the delivery stage: the commitment and support of the Scottish Government and its strong policy position on climate change is clearly attractive to international investment.”

Edinburgh Airport will purchase the power produced by the solar farm through a long-term Power Purchase Agreement with ASE. This PPA will generate long-term energy and carbon savings for the airport.

“We are delighted to support Edinburgh Airport with its ongoing drive to reduce its carbon impact,” said Matthew van Staden, Senior PPA Originator at Hartree Partners. “Through our expertise within Hartree and AMPYR Solar Europe, we can drive and deliver innovative energy solutions for companies within energy-intensive sectors. Our understanding of sustainable generation and commercially viable strategies in this space helped bring this project to life for Edinburgh Airport.”

The construction is further supported by the Scottish Government’s Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme, which have provided a grant for a portion of the capital expenditure.

“We are proud to be delivering this pioneering project and helping to decarbonise Edinburgh Airport alongside our funding partners ASE and the Edinburgh Airport project team,” said Tom Newall,  Managing Director at Absolute Solar & Wind. “The co-location of utility scale battery storage and solar PV has enabled us to maximise the green energy generation on site whilst working with the grid connection constraints. We look forward to entering the construction phase before progressing to carry out the operation, maintenance and optimisation of the system, as it generates clean power for years to come, providing energy security for a major, Scottish transport hub.”

AMPYR Solar Europe (“ASE”) LP, a pan-European solar IPP established by AGP Sustainable Real Assets, Hartree Partners and NaGa Solar, today announced the closing of a € 400 million facility with CarVal Investors (“CarVal”) to support ASE’s plans to bring over 2GW of solar power capacity into operation by 2025.

“One year after its inception, we couldn’t be more proud to have reached this key milestone in ASE’s journey to become a leading European solar IPP,” said Andrew Gould, Executive Chairman of ASE. “With the support of CarVal as our capital partner, we are on a steady path to turn our fast-progressing pipeline into a portfolio of large-scale solar power producing assets, that will contribute meaningfully to Europe’s energy transition.”

CarVal has made available an initial tranche of € 250 million as well as a further incremental tranche of € 150 million. This facility will predominantly cover the construction costs of solar assets as well as providing some development capital and operational expenses. The initial focus will be on sites in Germany, Netherlands, and the UK with the facility having the potential to extend to other European jurisdictions as well as allowing for funding of energy storage projects.

“We are excited to have ASE as one of our partners as we expand our footprint in the rapidly evolving clean energy transition,” said Jonathan Hunt, Managing Director at CarVal Investors. “We view the breadth of skills and track record of the team as market leading and look forward to funding their growth. The capital-intensive nature of the clean energy transition means that partnerships like this remain one of the largest opportunity sets for CarVal.”

ASE expects to break ground on its first projects in the second quarter of this year and be operational by the end of the year. By 2025, once fully deployed, the generating portfolio is expected to be among some of the largest utility scale solar platforms in Northern Europe.

“This transaction is yet another testament to the increasing investor engagement on the climate crisis, which cannot be resolved without massive private capital contribution,” said Elmahdi Tahri, AGP Partner and Global CIO of AMPYR Energy. “We are pleased to partner with CarVal Investors to help accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon Europe, and look forward to replicating this model across AMPYR Energy’s renewable platforms globally.”

The recent gas crisis in Europe has highlighted the urgent need for more renewable energy sources to reduce the continent’s dependency on gas and other fossil fuel sources. This initial 2GW development forms a significant part of ASE’s overall ambition to roll out 5GW of large-scale solar projects in Northwest Europe.

“Volatile and competitive power markets increasingly require solar developers to optimise between long-term power purchasers, the grid and storage assets,” said Abraham Kozhipatt, Partner and Co-Head of Renewable Infrastructure Assets at Hartree Partners. “ASE combines the partners’ strengths in asset development and merchant market risk management and we are delighted that CarVal recognise and support our strategy.”

Akereos Capital acted as sole bookrunner, structurer and exclusive debt advisor to AMPYR that was also advised by Reed Smith (legal). CarVal was advised by Norton Rose Fulbright (legal), ARUP (technical) and Baringa Partners (commercial).

What started out a couple of months ago as a surge in prices amid low wind and concerns about storage levels has fast accelerated into a full-blown crisis with new records being set on an almost daily basis, resulting in about 2 million households seeing their energy supplier go bust and the UK government forced to step in and help out energy intensive businesses.

At the start of October, the UK gas price passed 400p per therm during extremely volatile trading, with intraday gains up to 39%. Although prices have dropped since the early October pinnacle, the UK’s fundamental outlook hasn’t changed. The supply/demand balance for this winter is still tight and prices are likely to remain elevated for a number of months yet.

So far, the rise in wholesale prices have forced 15 suppliers of gas and electricity to UK homes go out of business with likely further casualties yet. The more recent rise of storage levels to around 77% full is, however, providing a glimmer of hope to gas balances.

While the energy price cap, which limits the rates a supplier can charge a domestic customer for their default tariffs, is protecting households, there is no such mechanism in place for businesses who have to absorb ever-higher gas and power prices into their production and manufacturing costs. For the most energy-intensive companies, this has forced them to consider whether they can continue operating in the current environment.

A prime example was fertilizer manufacturer CF Fertilisers shutting sites in September before the government agreed an exceptional 3-week arrangement with the company that allowed it to continue operating. With CF Fertilisers also the UK’s largest producer of carbon dioxide, the government went a step further and forced the CO2 industry to agree a price for CF Fertilisers’ supplies while global gas prices remain high.

This government intervention has led to other energy intensive industries, such as steel producers and paper mills, similarly calling for help to see them through this period of elevated prices.

These price surges and extremely volatility in gas and electricity prices highlight the value Hartree Solutions can offer to energy intensive businesses by developing localised generating assets such as solar, combined heat and power (CHP) or battery storage and then optimising the asset to ensure it provides security of supply and protects businesses from these wild price swings.

This gas crisis is set against the backdrop of the UK’s ambitious target to eliminate fossil fuels from electricity generation by 2035, which Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced at the start of October. With gas and coal the source of more than 36% of the UK’s electricity in 2020, the country needs to set clear policy to meet these goals. For example, in just a few months’ time the government-backed Capacity Mechanism, designed to ensure the UK’s security of supply, will likely contract new gas generators that will be providing power well past this 2035 target date.

The National Grid’s recently released Winter Outlook states that “there is sufficient generation availability and interconnector imports to meet demand” while warning the network provider may well have to issue Electricity Margin Notices (EMNs), particularly in December through to mid-January when tight margins are likely. Last winter, the Grid issued six EMNs, the first time it has had to resort to these measures since 2016, further illustrating the challenges the country faces as it transitions towards a renewable future.

One unwitting side effect of the extreme gas prices is that coal generation has become profitable again. With emitters needing to buy more carbon allowances to cover this unexpected coal usage, the cost of these permits has risen sharply too increasing the likelihood of the government being forced to involve itself in this market too.

The UK created its own Emissions Trading Scheme earlier this year, after leaving the EU ETS as a result of Brexit, if the carbon price remains high for another two months the Cost Containment Mechanism (CCM) will be triggered in December. The mechanism enables the UK ETS Authority to intervene if the average allowance price is double the average price for 3 consecutive months. The average carbon price in September was £58.36/ton, more than 10% above the threshold needed to trigger the CCM. If the average price stays above £52.88/metric ton in October and November, then the authority will consider what action to take.

With so many different strands to the energy markets and the potential for government intervention across a broad range of factors, Hartree Solutions’ 20+ years expertise in tracking and understanding energy markets along with advanced asset optimisation can help support businesses through these unprecedented, headline-making times.

One of the key drivers for the UK to reach net-zero is the continued development of renewable energy projects to supply clean power to the grid and reduce carbon intensity. These projects can be powered by different energy solutions, including wind, wave, marine, hydro, biomass, or solar.

The recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlighted the urgent need for the world to transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy. As this focus on reaching net-zero intensifies, particularly in the run-up to the key UN climate conference, COP26, we look at the role of the Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin scheme (REGOs). This government scheme, which was established to support the energy transition away from fossil fuels, provides transparency about the proportion of electricity suppliers source from renewable generation.

The REGO scheme is part of the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive, which requires all EU Member States to report what proportion of electricity consumption is from renewable sources. Following Brexit, the REGO scheme is under review in the UK. However, it appears it is the Government’s intention for the scheme to continue. The UK is now in a position where it can review this scheme and decide on a future approach that could expedite the journey to net-zero whilst improving transparency.

Currently, the scheme works by granting one REGO certificate to a renewable generator for every megawatt-hour (MWh) of renewable electricity produced. Energy suppliers must purchase and “retire” REGO certificates as part of their Fuel Mix Disclosure Regulatory requirements, therefore evidencing to end consumers the proportion of power produced from various fuels (renewables, coal, gas, nuclear, etc.).

REGOs can be sold separately to the power with which they are associated. Suppliers often purchase these REGOs without the associated power generation to ‘green’ their fossil fuel-based supply. This means the certificates don’t necessarily support or incentivise the development of new renewable projects, or “additional” projects, often referred to as additionality.

Additionality is becoming increasingly important to customers. It enables them to clearly demonstrate that they are actively involved with a new renewable project, rather than just buying REGOs from an existing project. This is often achieved through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).

A customer will guarantee to purchase the power at an agreed price for an agreed length of time and receive the REGOs attached to that power through a PPA. This provides a level of certainty to the developer/investor of the renewable project to build it. The customer can claim the REGOs attached to this specific project and state that they are “additional REGOs”. It also has the benefit that a proportion of the customers’ electricity consumption will be fixed for the long term, which is usually more cost-effective than current energy market prices and also protects against rising electricity costs.

If an organisation is making a true commitment to zero carbon emissions like “Microsoft’s 100/100/0 vision and commitment for a decarbonized grid”, then REGOs are likely to play a smaller part. To truly operate with carbon neutrality 24/7, renewable technologies will need to be paired with energy storage and state-of-the-art energy optimisation to match supply and demand in real-time.

At Hartree Solutions, we can guide you through a net-zero strategy, signposting the best technologies to reduce your carbon from day one. We also have several options to help you access “additional” REGOs with both on-site and off-site solar. Additionally, for hard to abate emissions we can provide verified carbon offsets to set you on the right path from day one as part of your journey to net zero.

• The project will work with local farmers, landowners, cooperatives, and NGOs in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay
• The project will help design, finance, and develop nature-based carbon reduction and removal projects, aiming to achieve the highest level of accreditation
• The project targets the creation of over 300 million tonnes of voluntary carbon credits over 30 years

Hartree Partners and ecosecurities today announces an estimated $1.5bn project to work with local farmers, landowners, associations, co-operatives, and NGOs in the Cono-Sur region of Latin America.

Named Project Araucaria after one of the most endangered tree species in the region, this project will help design, finance, and develop nature-based carbon reduction and removal projects in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, generating over 10 million tonnes of voluntary carbon credits each year.

Aggressive agricultural land use and conversion in Latin America now account for almost a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, and over half the deforestation in the world occurs. By working alongside people who own, farm, and support work on the land, Project Araucaria aims to reverse this trend by promoting the conservation and restoration of forests and implementing sustainable agricultural practices.

Ariel Perez, Partner at Hartree Partners, said:
“Reducing emissions is vital to halting devastating climate change; but it’s not enough. We also need to remove carbon that’s already in the atmosphere by restoring key habitats that have already been degraded and destroyed.

“Hartree’s project with ecosecurities will bring significant investment and expertise to farmers, agricultural producers, and landowners across Latin America by supporting their efforts to restore habitats and ecosystems, targeting the reduction and removal of carbon in the atmosphere by over 300 million tonnes.”

Ecosecurities, an impact-driven provider of environmental services with over two decades of experience in carbon emissions reduction and removal projects around the world, will use its on-the-ground presence in and knowledge of Latin America to engage farmers, producers, and landowners across the region. Ecosecurities aim to design and implement at least 20 projects and programmes.

Pablo Fernandez, CEO of ecosecurities, said:
“If we are to turn climate commitments into tangible action, we must develop solutions that deliver benefits for local people, nature and, as result, to the entire planet.

“This is why we are delighted to be partnering with Hartree to deliver Project Araucaria – a vitally important initiative that will promote sustainable production practices and, in turn, reduce global emissions.”

The portfolio aims to achieve certification under the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and receive Climate, Community and Biodiversity (CCB) status; it will be marketed by Vertree, a joint venture formed between Hartree Partners and sustainability leaders SYSTEMIQ.

Hartree Partners, a leading global energy and commodities trading company will invest, develop, manage, and market the projects, to help meet the surging demand for high quality Verified Emissions Reductions as businesses look to play their part in addressing the climate emergency.