Google backs solar, offshore wind in latest PPA binge in Europe

Google LLC has signed a pair of 12-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) in the UK and Spain in an effort to ensure its operations in both countries run on close to 90% carbon-free energy in 2025.

In separate statements on Thursday, developers ib vogt and Ocean Winds announced that they have secured an off-taker in Google for their respective projects.

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Germany’s ib vogt said that the tech giant contracted power from its 149-MWp Garnacha solar PV project in Zamora province, Spain. The solar farm has been under construction since mid-September, shortly after ib vogt close the EUR-90-million (USD 93.8m) long-term project financing with Norddeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale (NORD/LB) and Santander Corporate & Investment Banking (Santander CIB), the firm said.

The whole project is valued at EUR 118 million.

The Garnacha plant will be equipped with over 270,000 solar panels mounted on north-south single-axis trackers. Its production output is estimated at up to 300 GWh per year.

The solar farm is expected to reach commercial operation by October 2023, ib vogt said.

In the UK, Ocean Winds, a 50/50 joint venture between power producers EDP Renovaveis SA (ELI:EDPR) and Engie SA (EPA:ENGI), signed a corporate PPA with Google for 100 MW from the Moray West offshore wind farm project.

Moray West is an 882-MW development currently under construction off the coast of Scotland. Lithuania’s Ignitis Group owns a small stake in it.

Under the PPA terms, Google will be delivered over 5 TWh of power from the wind farm, Ocean Winds said.

Moray West is expected to produce first power in 2024 and become fully operational in 2025, according to project updates.

(EUR 1.0 = USD 1.043)