Nordic independent power producer (IPP) Alight and French developer Neoen have commissioned the 100MWp Hultsfred Solar Farm in southern Sweden.
Located at Hultsfred Airport in Småland, the facility is fully operational and reportedly the country’s largest solar installation. It is expected to generate around 100GWh of electricity per year.
The project is backed by a power purchase agreement (PPA) signed in December 2022 with fashion retailer H&M Group.
Under the contract, Neoen has committed to supplying the company with 95% of the electricity and guarantees of origin produced at the site. The agreement supports H&M Group’s target of sourcing 100% renewable electricity by 2030.
“Bringing this solar farm into operation with our partner Neoen and PPA offtaker H&M represents a milestone for us and demonstrates that the Swedish market can deliver large-scale, unsubsidised renewable energy fast.
It’s a landmark achievement in Swedish renewable power production,” said Warren Campbell, CEO at Alight.
Financing was provided through Danske Bank, while Bouygues Energies & Services and Solkompaniet handled engineering, procurement and construction.
Alight has previously described the Nordic solar market as “massive and largely untapped”.
Speaking in 2023, Campbell noted that “while winters tend to be dark, summers are very light and overall, there is good solar irradiation”.
The company aims to achieve 5GW of installed capacity across Europe by 2030, with ongoing developments in Finland, Denmark, and Germany.
For Neoen, the Hultsfred project marks its fourth operational asset in Sweden, adding to a wind farm and two battery storage sites. The company now operates 304MW in the country.
“With these complementary three technologies at scale, we are actively contributing to Sweden’s competitive and clean energy transition,” said Laetitia Prot, managing director for Neoen Sweden.
[Image: Hultsfred Solpark. Image Credit: Alight.]
