THE Kingston Solar Farm in Bradford on Avon has been repowered following a deal between renewable energy firm BayWa r.e. and specialist alternative asset manager Gresham House.

The agreement marks BayWa r.e.’s first repowering project in this country by the UK company which has managed Kingston Farm on behalf of Gresham House since 2017.

The site is a 15-hectare, 5MW ground-mounted Photovoltaic solar park commissioned in 2011 as part of the Kingston Farm housing and office park development.

Working in partnership with Gresham House, BayWa r.e. identified both decreasing inverter reliability and manufacturer support at Kingston Farm due to the age of the site.

BayWa r.e. was subsequently engaged by Gresham House to undertake a detailed study for the potential to repower the plant.

The project has since been delivered successfully, on time and in budget, using top quality equipment sourced as part of BayWa r.e.’s global procurement partnerships.

Natasha Kumar, managing director of BayWa r.e. Operation Services Ltd, said: “The ongoing operation and maintenance of a renewable energy plant is crucial to ensuring it operates at its peak efficiency and success.

"The team has successfully demonstrated this at Kingston Farm, and we are very pleased to have reached the exciting milestone of BayWa r.e.’s first repowering project in the UK.

"We look forward to replicating this success in future projects to drive generation of economical, low-carbon power in the UK.”

As a result of the project's successful delivery, the Milton Keynes-based company is now working on further UK repowering projects on behalf of Gresham House.

Gresham House investment director Bozkurt Aydinoglu said: “We are delighted with the outcome of the repowering project at Kingston Farm and look forward to optimised asset performance, the increased lifespan of the asset and a successful long-term financial model for the plant.

"We are also pleased to be continuing our partnership with BayWa r.e. to deliver further repowering projects in the UK as well as to meaningfully contribute to the UK’s decarbonisation.”

BayWa r.e. is also driving forward repowering projects in Germany, Spain, France and Italy as its core markets in Europe.