Alight to build ‘Sweden’s largest solar farms’, signs PPAs

Two of the farms are expected to be completed in 1H 2023, while the final one is to come online in 2Q 2022. Image: Alight

Alight has signed agreements to build three solar parks in Sweden that according to the company will be the largest in Sweden once built with a total installed capacity of 90MW.

The solar parks will be owned, built and operated by Alight, which has recently bolstered its team with the appointment of two new department heads.

Sustainable food company Axfood has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) for a 40MW solar park that will provide 40GWh, while industrial group Axel Johnson AB and its associated companies have signed a PPA for a 30MW solar park that will provide 30GWh. These two parks are expected to be completed in 1H 2023.  

Previously, food conglomerate Martin & Servera signed a PPA with Alight for a 18MW solar project to cover 40% of its operations. The plant is currently under construction with a completion date of Q2 2022 and will provide roughly 19GWh.  

Axel Johnson and co will buy all the electricity produced for at least ten years at a fixed price to protect themselves against volatility in the electricity market. Its president and CEO, Mia Livfors, said the announcement marked a “significant leap forward for the Swedish market for large-scale solar energy”.

“I hope other corporations get inspired and realize the benefits of taking full control of their energy consumption while creating more renewable energy through their own sites,” said Alight CEO Harald Överholm.

Installed solar in Sweden is now over 1GW after the country saw surprising growth over the past few years, with 400MW installed in 2020 alone. Indeed, BayWa r.e. will construct a PV facility in Sweden with a capacity of at least 100MWp, as the renewables developer eyes a significant solar expansion in the country.

The length of contracts for Axfood and Martin & Servera were not disclosed.