Network Rail wants to partner with a renewable energy developer to deploy of solar arrays across sites in Scotland, including installing ‘solar carports’ in station car parks.
The project would see solar PV arrays at stations, depots, offices, car parks and other sites in Scotland, but will not extend to ground-mounted systems due to “potential land-use conflicts and environmental concerns”.
Network Rail will select a renewable energy developer who will be granted an exclusive development agreement for five years, with a potential two-year extension. The developer will be responsible for conducting site surveys, funding, constructing, maintaining, owning, and operating the solar PV arrays. They will also decommission the arrays at the end of the lease and PPA and restore the site afterward.
Network Rail is one of the UK’s largest electricity consumers. It aims to use power purchase agreements (PPAs) to decarbonise, reduce electricity cost volatility with fixed price contracts and provide resilience. It has a non-traction decarbonisation target of 100% renewable electricity by 2030, and rooftop (on-site) solar PV will provide this. Network Rail will purchase the renewable energy generated via on-site PPAs and any excess will be sold.