University of Manchester signs PPA for new 71 MW UK solar project

The corporate power purchase agreement is billed as the largest signed by a UK educational institution. Agreement provides fixed-rate revenue for developer Enviromena. EDF is the utility responsible for balancing and shaping generation.

The University of Manchester has signed a 10-year corporate PPA (CPPA) covering generation at the 71 MW Medebridge Solar Farm in Essex, England. It is thought to be the largest PPA signed by a UK educational institution to date.

Developer Enviromena has energized the site and the PPA will come into effect from Sept. 1, 2025. A spokesperson for the developer told pv magazine the 10-year PPA covers 80% of generation on site, with the remaining 20% trading on the open market with support from EDF.

EDF is also acting as the “balancing and shaping” partner in the CPPA agreement. This will see EDF take trading actions to balance the differences between forecast generation and actual output from the plant. EDF will also shape the plant’s output into an equivalent block of baseload power that will be transferred to University of Manchester’s energy supply contract. The CPPA is expected to cover 65% of the university’s electricity demand. Energy consultancy Inspired PLC advised the university during CPPA negotiations.

Medebride Solar Farm was developed by Enviromena through the company’s in-house teams, and a spokesperson told pv magazine it will continue to operate and maintain the project for its full 40-year lifespan. Based in Reading, near London, Enviromena manages, operates and maintains over 400 MW of renewable assets. The company reports a 3 GW pipeline of renewable energy projects in the United Kingdom and Italy.

In a press release, Enviromena Chief Operating Officer Gary Hales said energizing Medebridge represented a “huge achievement” for the company. “Delivering a project of this scale without a single health and safety incident, and at such a pace, is testament to the expertise and dedication of our team.”

Tom Abbott, PPA Director at EDF, added that the Medebridge Solar Farm CPPA shows “how smart partnerships can unlock big wins for decarbonisation.”

“Our balancing, shaping, and sleeving services mean the university gets dependable clean power –and a clear path towards its net zero goals,” he said.