Hultsfred Solar Farm Launches: Sweden’s Largest 100 MWp Plant Powers H&M with Renewable Energy via PPA

Key Takeaways

Hultsfred Solar Farm is Sweden’s largest utility-scale solar installation, with 174,000 photovoltaic panels and a 100 MWp capacity.
The solar farm will provide 95% of renewable energy to H&M Group under a long-term power purchase agreement.
This project is part of Sweden’s renewable energy transition, with significant contributions from Alight, Neoen, and local partners.

Hultsfred Solar Farm Launches in Sweden

Alight, a prominent Nordic solar independent power producer, has partnered with Neoen, a leading global renewable energy producer, to announce the operational launch of the Hultsfred Solar Farm. Located at Hultsfred Airport in Småland, this facility is now the largest utility-scale solar power installation in Sweden.

The solar farm features 174,000 low-carbon photovoltaic panels spread over approximately 130 hectares, which is roughly the size of 185 football fields. With an installed capacity of 100 MWp, it is expected to produce around 100 GWh of electricity annually, supplying power equivalent to the needs of over 18,000 average Swedish households. This project signifies a major step in Sweden’s ongoing transition to renewable energy sources.

A significant aspect of this initiative is the power purchase agreement (PPA) established at the end of 2022 with H&M Group, the Swedish fashion retailer. Under this agreement, the solar farm will deliver 95% of the renewable energy needed by H&M, supporting the retailer’s objective to source exclusively renewable electricity by 2030. Alight’s CEO, Warren Campbell, expressed pride in the achievement, noting that it highlights the ability of the Swedish market to fast-track large-scale, unsubsidized renewable energy projects.

Laetitia Prot, Managing Director for Neoen Sweden, emphasized the importance of this solar farm as the company’s fourth operational asset in Sweden, contributing to a total of 304 MW of renewable energy capacity. The firm views these developments as crucial to fostering Sweden’s clean energy transition.

H&M’s Head of Sustainability for Northern Europe, Marcus Hartmann, remarked on the company’s commitment to sustainability and concluded that the Hultsfred project is important not only for business but as an investment in a sustainable future.

The project’s successful realization was supported by structured debt financing from Danske Bank, and the construction was completed by the EPC consortium of Equans Energy and Storage along with Solkompaniet. The solar farm is now connected to the local grid distribution system managed by E.ON in Hultsfred, further enhancing the region’s renewable energy capabilities.

The content above is a summary. For more details, see the source article.