In a pioneering project between British Gas and Associated British Ports, we've created a solar farm that will generate 4.5MWh of renewable energy.
We are committed to helping our customers make real energy and carbon savings. Solar energy is an important way of helping us achieve this.
In a pioneering project in South Wales totaling more than £5m, a new Port of Barry solar farm has been opened by Alun Cairns, MP for the Vale of Glamorgan. The solar farm was constructed by British Gas for Associated British Ports (ABP) and is made up of almost 15,000 solar panels spanning 20 acres.
The site is expected to generate around 4.5MWh of renewable energy each year to support ABP’s port operations, including its 75 tenants. Any excess energy will be utilised to benefit the rest of Britain through export to the National Grid.
The solar farm is a huge success. Taking only three months to build, the disused brownfield land has been rapidly transformed to a source of local sustainable energy which is expected to save around 2,000tCO2 per year - the equivalent weight of a small ship. After just a few months in operation, the installation was also shortlisted for a Wales Green Energy Award in the Outstanding Renewable Energy Project category, sponsored by the Welsh Government.
Alun Cairns, Vale of Glamorgan MP, said: "The new solar farm on Barry Docks is a fantastic example of maximising the use of industrial space, in a very impressive scheme. The energy partnership between ABP and British Gas will allow Barry Dock to become more competitive in the industry, and the project in the Vale of Glamorgan could become an exciting model for other docks and ports around Great Britain.”
Matthew Kennerley, Director of ABP South Wales, said: “The development of renewable energy is a focus of investment for ABP South Wales as we continue to develop environmentally friendly engineering projects at all five of our South Wales ports.”
This marks an ongoing relationship with ABP following a 250kWp solar project installed at Newport Docks in 2014.
To find out more, read about our innovative £2.5m solar partnership which created Wales’ first ever council-owned and operated solar farm, or, learn about wider ways we are enabling energy and carbon savings.