Alight, a leading Nordic solar independent power producer, and Neoen, one of the world’s leading producers of exclusively renewable energy, proudly announce the commissioning and full operational status of the Hultsfred Solar Farm, Sweden’s largest utility-scale solar power installation.
Image Credit: Alight
Located at Hultsfred Airport in Småland, the solar farm has 174000 low-carbon photovoltaic panels installed around the runway. With an installed capacity of 100 MWp, it will generate approximately 100 GWh annually, equivalent to the electricity consumption of over 18,000 average Swedish houses. Spread across about 130 hectares (about 185 football fields), this installation marks a pivotal milestone in the country’s renewable energy transition.
The project was made possible by a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) signed at the end of 2022 with H&M Group, under which the solar park will provide the Swedish fashion retailer with 95% of the renewable energy and guarantees of origin produced. The agreement plays an important role in H&M Group’s goal to only source renewable electricity by 2030 at the latest.
“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, unsubsidized renewable energy fast. It’s a landmark achievement in Swedish renewable power production,” says Warren Campbell, CEO at Alight.
“I would like to congratulate our partners Alight, H&M, Equans & Solkompaniet, E.on, and the municipality for this great achievement. Hultsfred solar farm is our fourth asset entering into operation in Sweden with a total fleet of now 304 MW (after Storbränkullen wind farm, Storen Power Reserve battery and Isbillen Power Reserve battery). With these complementary three technologies at scale, we are actively contributing to Sweden’s competitive and clean energy transition”, says Laetitia Prot, Managing Director for Neoen Sweden.
“As a global fashion player, we have both the power and the responsibility to drive the energy transition, and with the solar park in Hultsfred, we are taking another step on that journey. Through our collaboration with Alight and Neoen, we are creating new renewable electricity capacity in Sweden, which strengthens the supply of renewable energy and brings us closer to our goal of a circular business with net zero emissions. This is not just an investment in our business – it is an investment in the future,” says Marcus Hartmann, Head of Sustainability for H&M Northern Europe.
The project’s development was underpinned by structured debt financing from Danske Bank. The solar farm was built by EPC Equans Energy and Storage – Solkompaniet consortium and is connected to the E.ON local grid distribution system in Hultsfred.