Ardagh Glass Packaging-Europe (AGP-Europe), an operating business of Ardagh Group, announced today that it has entered a long-term Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) with Rezolv Energy’s St. George solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Bulgaria, securing renewable electricity for its glass manufacturing operations across Europe from April 2026.
Schneider Electric, a leading adviser in corporate renewable energy procurement and carbon management, supported AGP-Europe in the VPPA negotiation.
The VPPA – one of the first to be signed in Bulgaria – is intended to provide 110 GWh per year of renewable electricity to AGP-Europe, over 12 years. It complements AGP-Europe’s renewable energy supply from wind power, secured in Sweden earlier this year. Together, thanks to their different sources, they are designed to provide AGP-Europe with a consistent renewable power supply throughout the year.
In conjunction with other Power Purchase Agreements in its portfolio, this deal is designed to enable AGP-Europe to meet over 80% of its 2030 renewable electricity targets.
Rezolv is able to sign this VPPA in Bulgaria, with a major international industrial firm, because Bulgaria is a full member of the Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB) and going through the final steps to connect to the AIB Hub, thus making its Guarantees of Origin tradeable across Europe. Adopting this essential European legislation and enacting it fully directly supports Bulgaria in decarbonising its electricity grid for the benefit of everyone.
About the St. George solar park
The St. George solar park will be built on a brownfield site: the former Silistra airport, a decommissioned airfield covering 165 hectares. The project will comprise nearly 400,000 photovoltaic panels. St. George will be one of the largest solar projects in Bulgaria once it is operational in the summer of 2025.
In a country which has historically relied on fossil fuels for most of its energy needs, replacing fossil production with renewables delivers the maximum possible emissions reduction impact. St. George will therefore play a crucial role in Bulgaria’s energy transition and help the country meet its climate targets.
The project will also be developed to the highest international sustainability standards to ensure that it leaves a lasting, positive legacy.
Martin Petersson, CEO AGP-Europe said:
“We are pleased to have finalised this agreement in just six months, which is largely due to Rezolv’s flexibility, the support and technical know-how of Schneider Electric, and our own experience in this field.”
“The Bulgarian solar project perfectly meets our aim to diversify the locations of our renewable energy supply and to support emerging energy markets: AGP-Europe benefits from a supply of renewable electricity, while helping Bulgaria’s transition to low-carbon energy.”
Alastair Hammond, CEO, Rezolv Energy added:
“By signing this VPPA, AGP-Europe has become one of the most important corporate investors in Bulgaria’s energy transition. Through it, the company has become the leading enabler of St. George, a 229 MW solar project which, overall, will deliver an average of 313 Gigawatt hours of renewable electricity annually. AGP-Europe is therefore making a direct contribution to reducing Bulgaria’s dependence on fossil fuels and to enhancing its energy security.”
Jaroslava Korpanec, Partner, Head of Central and Eastern Europe, Energy Infrastructure at Actis, commented:
“In signing this VPPA for its solar project in Bulgaria, Rezolv Energy is placing itself at the heart of pioneering practices to drive the energy transition across Central and Eastern Europe while helping leading businesses power their operations more sustainably through renewable energy.”
Rezolv Energy was launched 18 months ago by Actis, a leading global investor in sustainable infrastructure, and already has well over 2GW of clean energy being prepared for construction in South Eastern Europe. As well as St. George, projects include Dama Solar in western Romania which, at 1,044MW, will be the largest solar plant anywhere in Europe once it is built. Rezolv also has more than 1GW of wind power under construction or in late stage development in Romania through two projects it is developing in partnership with Low Carbon.
You might also like
30 September 2024
Rezolv Energy and A2A sign Virtual Power Purchase Agreement for 150 GWh of wind energy in Romania
A2A, an Italian group active in the energy, water and environment sectors, has signed a 7-year Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) with Rezolv Energy, an independent power producer backed by Actis.
18 September 2024
ICT companies should act now to secure the green power needed for data centre growth
In the last article in this series, we explored the regulations, directives and other EU initiatives which are – or will be – the most important in encouraging European companies to switch to buying more renewable power.
6 September 2024
Rezolv Energy hands contracts to three companies, including Solarpro and CMC Europe, to build the ‘St. George’ solar park in Bulgaria
Actis-backed Rezolv Energy has selected three companies – CMC Europe, Solarpro and Green Solar Energy – to build the 229MW ‘St. George’ solar park in Silistra Municipality in Northeastern Bulgaria. Construction work is due to start very shortly, with the plant coming onstream next year.
18 July 2024
Which regulatory changes at EU level are doing – or will do – the most to push companies towards renewable power?
In the last article in this series, we took a deep-dive into the telecommunications industry, a sector which, according to industry estimates, accounts for 1-2% of all energy consumed globally – and which is amongst the fastest-growing for renewable energy power purchase agreements (PPAs).
11 July 2024
Why is the telecoms industry amongst the fastest-growing sectors for renewable energy PPAs?
In the last article in this series, we took the first of several deep-dives we will be taking into industry sectors which are heavily impacted by the energy transition – and which are driving demand for renewable energy power purchase agreements (PPAs) in Central & South Eastern Europe.
4 July 2024
Bekaert and Rezolv Energy sign 100 GWh wind Power Purchase Agreement in Romania
Bucharest, 4 July 2024: Rezolv Energy, the Actis-backed independent power producer in Central and Southeastern Europe, through their project subsidiary First Looks Solutions S.R.L., have signed a 10-year Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) in Romania with Bekaert, a global leader in steel wire transformation and coating technologies.
19 June 2024
T-Mobile Czech Republic, Slovak Telekom and CE Colo sign pioneering cross-border virtual Power Purchase Agreements with Rezolv Energy
Major deal will see the Deutsche Telekom companies buy 100GWh of clean power per annum for 12 years
The deal, the first cross-border virtual Power Purchase Agreements signed by Czech or Slovak companies, will enable the construction of the one of Europe’s largest onshore wind farms.
17 June 2024
Rezolv Energy & Low Carbon hand Vestas EPC contract for VIFOR wind farm in Romania
Bucharest, 17 June 2024: Actis-backed Rezolv Energy and Low Carbon, through their project subsidiary First Looks Solutions S.R.L., have selected Vestas as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) partner for the first phase of the ‘VIFOR’ wind farm in Buzău County, Romania. Phase 1 will install 192MW in capacity, with planned expansion to 461MW in Phase 2.
13 June 2024
Rezolv Energy & Low Carbon sign finance facilities for up to €291 million to build the VIFOR wind farm in Romania
Bucharest, 13 June: Rezolv Energy and Low Carbon, through their project subsidiary First Looks Solutions S.R.L., have secured finance loan facilities of up to €291 million to support the Phase 1 construction of the ‘VIFOR’ wind farm, a major project located in Romania.