The University of Manchester has signed a landmark new deal that will see up to 65 percent of its electricity demand supplied through a brand-new renewables project.
The university has partnered with leading UK clean energy company Enviromena to buy electricity generated from its brand-new solar farm based in Medebridge, Essex to help it reach its target of zero carbon by 2038.
Once complete, Medebridge Solar Farm will host 104,000 solar panels across 175 acres of low-grade agricultural land, the equivalent of around 70 football pitches.
The site will also create a significant biodiversity net gain. With enhancements to the existing hedgerows and planting of native grassland and wildflower meadow beneath and around the solar arrays, the site will encourage nesting opportunities for wildlife and improved habitat connectivity.
The contract that secures this investment, known as a Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (cPPA), commits the University to purchase 80 percent of Medebridge’s total annual generation capacity (58 GWh) for the next decade, reducing University carbon emissions by 12,000 t/co2 every year – enough to power 21,000 homes.
Lee Barlow, Finance & Administration Manager, and Project Lead at The University of Manchester said “After nearly three years of rigorous procurement and negotiations, we are proud to announce this landmark agreement, which reinforces our commitment to sustainability whilst delivering best value to our students and stakeholders, in the form of price certainty and supply stability.
“The journey has been marked by unprecedented challenges in the energy and renewables sector, first with the 2022 energy crisis, and later complicated by geopolitical events in Eastern Europe. Securing this 10-year cPPA despite such adversity is a huge accomplishment and holds special significance as we celebrate the University’s bicentennial year.”
The milestone achievement was made possible through the collaborative efforts of a multidisciplinary implementation team from the University, complemented by the expertise of its energy broker, Inspired PLC, and Eversheds Sutherland acting as external legal counsel.
Carly McLachlan, Professor Climate and Energy Policy and Academic Lead for Carbon at The University of Manchester said “The really important thing for us in developing this relationship was that our commitment would add new renewable energy capacity to the UK electricity system.
“Through our long-term purchasing commitment, we have played a key role in bringing this development forward – maximising the positive impact of our purchasing power.”
Enviromena develops, builds, owns and operates renewable energy assets and currently manages over 300 MW of renewables projects. In addition, Enviromena is currently working on a 3 GW+ pipeline of renewable energy projects in the UK and Italy that will significantly decarbonise electricity networks, reduce emissions and support the global drive towards net zero.
Construction of Medebridge commenced in April 2024, with energisation expected in autumn 2025.
The University has set ambitious goals to reduce its environmental impact, in line with its core goal of social responsibility. In 2022 it ended investments in coal, oil and gas and reduced the carbon intensity of its investments by 37 percent.
All degree programmes are kite-marked against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the University is rated top in the UK and Europe and second in the world in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings global performance table (2023). Manchester also top in the UK and Europe and third in the world in the independent QS World University Sustainability Rankings (2024)
The Sustainable Futures research platform brings together the unique depth and breadth of internationally leading research at The University of Manchester and builds on the University’s track record of successful interdisciplinary working, to produce integrated and truly sustainable solutions to urgent environmental challenges. This includes the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change, which helped create the University’s Zero Carbon Goal.