EDF has signed a long-term route-to-market PPA with Aukera to offtake all of the renewable power generated from Benthead Solar Farm in North Ayrshire, Scotland, co-located with a 31MW battery system, with commissioning set for 2026.

The Benthead project was successfully awarded a 15-year Contract for Difference (CfD) as part of Allocation Round 6 and the agreement will run for a term of 9 to 11 years, depending on the commissioning date of the battery. The collaboration marks the first time EDF, Britain’s largest offtaker of renewable power and biggest optimiser of batteries has partnered with Aukera, a renewable investments and development company. The Benthead project is wholly owned by Aukera and has been financed and will be built as part of a 250MW portfolio.

According to the UK’s Renewable Energy Planning Database, 40 per cent of wind and solar projects at an advanced stages of development, representing 10.6GW of new capacity, are co-located with BESS. This project potentially represents a next-generation model of co-located renewables and flexible storage, sharing a 63MW grid connection between the solar farm and the AC-coupled battery asset, enabling strategic control of exports to maximise the site's overall grid value.

In addition to the PPA, EDF has also signed a separate optimisation agreement for the battery system via its PowerShift platform. PowerShift provides real-time trading and operational support for flexible assets, using AI, machine learning algorithms, and industry insight across various wholesale, balancing, and ancillary markets.

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