Construction Commences on 200 MWh Battery Energy Storage project in Dickens County, Texas

esVolta, LP (esVolta) announced that it has commenced construction on the 200 MWh Burksol standalone battery energy storage facility in Dickens County, Texas, which it acquired in December 2022 from Irish renewables developer, Highfield Energy (Highfield).

The project, which is scheduled to reach commercial operations in 2025, was originated and developed by Highfield Energy which entered the US market in 2019.

“Through this acquisition from Highfield, we are positioned to provide reliable electric capacity, energy and ancillary services in the near-term in ERCOT, which has proven itself as a high growth market for energy storage,” said Randolph Mann, President and CEO of esVolta. “Our team is excited to break ground on this project, which is an important component of our growth strategy in the Texas market”.

“We are delighted to have completed this transaction with esVolta,” commented Highfield CEO Peter Kavanagh. “We are very proud to see greenfield projects that we developed being realised, which is a testament to our development capabilities, experience and knowledge in North America”.

Highfield was supported in the sales process by Fractal Energy Storage Consultants. esVolta was advised by Clean Energy Counsel, LLP on corporate and due diligence matters and by Stahl, Sewell, Chavarria, Friend & Cohen LLP on real estate and regulatory matters.

About esVolta, LP

esVolta is a developer, owner, and operator of utility-scale energy storage projects across North America. The company’s portfolio of operational plus in construction projects totals about 1.5 GWh of storage capacity, and the firm is developing a large pipeline of future storage projects. esVolta is backed by Generate Capital PBC, a leading sustainable infrastructure investment and operating company.

For more information on esVolta, please visit https://www.esvolta.com/

About Highfield Energy

Highfield Energy is an Irish-based developer and operator of utility-scale renewable and energy storage projects with offices in Dublin, Ireland and Dallas, Texas. It is the largest solar developer in Ireland with 282MWp in operation, and a further 326MWp entering financing. It has a 2GW project pipeline in active development in the US and recently sold three utility-scale solar farms in ERCOT, Texas with a total capacity of 502MWp to the Spanish IPP, Greenalia. The Dickens County battery energy storage facility is part of the pipeline of projects that Highfield Energy has developed in a joint venture with their partner, German renewables developer ib Vogt, in the US.

For more information on Highfield, please visit https://www.highfieldenergy.com/

Highfield Energy Build on Irish Solar PV Success

Adding to our ongoing successful build out of Solar PV in Ireland, Highfield Energy are pleased to announce that a further 324MWp of our Solar PV projects have been included in the provisional list of successful applicants for the second Renewable Electricity Support Scheme Auction (RESS 2) published on 20 May 2022.

Completed Solar PV Module Array

This makes Highfield Solar the largest winners of support for solar energy in the RESS 2 auction. These projects will drive a further ~€240m of inward investment towards the decarbonisation of the Irish Electricity system. When completed they will offset the output of ~100,000 t CO2 annually and contribute significantly towards Ireland's 2030 CO2 reduction targets.

Highfield’s RESS 2 projects included on the provisional list are:

• Rathnaskilloge Solar Farm, Co. Waterford - 114 MWp

• Gaskinstown Solar Farm, Co. Meath - 96 MWp

• North Arklow Solar plus Storage facility, Co. Wicklow - 57 MWp

• Clonin North Solar Farm, Co. Offaly - 57 MWp

“We are very pleased to secure provisional support for four of our Solar PV projects in the RESS 2 auction today and maintain our position as the most successful Solar PV developer in Ireland. This is a significant step forward for these projects and we look forward to continuing to develop our Irish pipeline with our project partners Aura Power and ib vogt”, Peter Kavanagh, Managing Director, Highfield Energy.

This builds on successes from the RESS 1 Auction in 2020, in which 282MWp of Highfield Solar's PV capacity secured long term support. Having finalised €160m project debt financing in July 2021, construction is now near completion on those projects, with energisation scheduled in August and November 2022 respectively.

As with the first RESS auction, RESS 2 retains an important focus on community participation and direct community benefit. Highfield look forward to the formation of the community benefit funds that will allow these projects to distribute a combined figure of approximately €510,000 per annum to neighbouring communities during the term of the RESS 2 support. This brings the combined local support payments that will come from Highfield’s RESS 1 and RESS 2 community benefit funds to approximately €800,000 per annum.

In addition, Highfield also welcomes the announcement of the 100% community owned projects listed for support on the provisional list. These include a number of projects on which Highfield has collaborated with local community groups, providing expertise and support as part of wider industry efforts to assist community groups during the energy transition.

RESS 2 Provisional Auction Results

Full Press Release:

2022-05-20-Press Release - May 20, 2022 - Highfield Energy Build on Irish Solar PV Succes

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Highfield Solar, a Highfield Energy joint venture, secures €160m financing for Irish Solar PV duo

In one of the first large-scale Solar PV construction financing deals in Ireland, Highfield Solar has secured project financing to fund the construction and operation of two Solar PV projects totalling 282MWp of installed capacity.

Fixed Tilt Solar PV Array

Berlin/Germany, Dublin/Ireland, Bristol/UK, 19/07/2021. Highfield Solar Limited, a joint venture established in 2014 between German company ib vogt, Irish company Highfield Energy and UK company Aura Power, has successfully reached financial close on a €160 million project financing debt facility for two solar PV plants in Ireland. The lenders for the projects are Coöperatieve Rabobank U.A., Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (LBBW) and Norddeutsche Landesbank (NORD/LB), providing one third of the senior debt each, consisting of a blend of KFW and commercial loans.

Both Solar PV projects were successful participants in the Government of Ireland’s first competitive Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS 1) auction run by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications in 2020. The RESS auctions have been designed to promote investment in renewable energy and deliver on Ireland’s 70% renewable electricity target by 2030. Highfield Solar is proud to be contributing to this important goal on the path to the decarbonisation of Ireland’s electricity system.

Participation in the RESS scheme will guarantee that communities, clubs and societies local to each of the Solar PV projects will benefit from funding of approximately €200,000 each year for the duration of the term of RESS support of 15 years.

“We are delighted to have reached this significant milestone and we are now looking forward to completing both of these Solar PV projects. This is the result of years of planning and investment. The three partners have enjoyed a very positive relationship and combined their resources, capabilities, experience and knowledge to create these first class projects. As a company based in Ireland, we are hugely proud of our role in attracting such significant investment into the country for a renewable electricity generation project. It is also very important to us that the establishment of the associated community benefit funds will make significant contributions to the respective localities over the next decade and beyond”, says Peter Kavanagh, Managing Director at Highfield Energy

“The collaboration with our joint venture partners Highfield Energy and Aura Power has been outstanding and closing on these projects shows the dedication of all involved parties to bring clean energy to Ireland. Concluding the financing process would not have been possible without the conviction of our financing partners in renewable energy projects and their competence in funding them”, says Anton Milner, Managing Director of ib vogt GmbH.

“It’s exciting to see these projects achieving this significant milestone after a lot of hard work from all involved. These two projects will deliver over 25% of the total RESS1 volume awarded to solar PV and will hopefully pave the way for many more solar PV transactions in the Irish market.” Says Simon Coulson, Director at Aura Power.

Project Details

With a total capacity of 141 MWp, the Rosspile solar PV plant will be located on a ca. 140-hectare site near the village of Foulksmills in the County Wexford, the highest yield area of the country.

The Gillinstown solar PV plant with the same capacity will be located on a 123-hectare site near the village of Duleek, County Meath.

Both projects will utilise high-capacity bi-facial modules on fixed-tilt support structures for optimised land use and efficiency. Work on the grid connection infrastructure has already commenced and Solar PV construction is expected to be completed in July 2022 for Rosspile and October 2022 for Gillinstown.

Full Press Release:

2021-07-19-Highfield Energy Solar PV Financing Press Release

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