Renewable energy developer Innova has sold Ducklington Solar, a 27.5MWp solar array, to the specialist asset manager Schroders Greencoat.
The Ducklington site, based in Oxfordshire, secured planning consent in March 2022. Construction is due to commence in Q1 2025, with generation targeted for early 2026. The project was also awarded a CfD in allocation round 6 (AR6) in September 2024, alongside five of Innova’s other solar projects. Once energised, Ducklington Solar is anticipated to save approximately 11,600 tonnes of carbon per year.
The CfD is a government scheme designed to encourage the development of new renewable energy generation in the UK. The Labour government recently increased the allocated CfD budget from £1 billion to £1.5 billion, unlocking further investment opportunities into new renewable projects.
Ducklington is Innova’s fifth solar project to be sold to Schroders Greencoat, and represents a total of over 110MWp within the investment partnership to date. This follows the sale of Stokeford Solar Park (28.5MWp) in November 2024, and three previous acquisitions as part of the two firms’ joint venture, ISG Renewables, including Carn Nicholas (10MWp), Bicker Fen Solar Park (22.6MWp), and Elms Farm Solar Park (27.8MWp).
Matt Yard, co-head of solar & storage at Schroders Greencoat, commented: “We are delighted to be partnering with Innova on yet another exciting solar project in the UK which will go into construction this year in Oxfordshire. The CfD-backed project underscores our commitment to delivering long-term, inflation-linked returns for our investors while also accelerating the UK’s transition to a low-carbon future."
Schroders Greencoat has around £9.3bn under management, with strategies investing into wind, solar, bioenergy and energy transition in the UK, Europe and the United States. In total, Schroders Greencoat manages over 379 renewable infrastructure assets with an aggregate net generation capacity of over 6.5 GW.
Among the end investors in Greencoat are six UK LGPS - Avon, Cornwall, Devon, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Wiltshire (all members of the Brunel Pension Partnership) - which have collectively invested £330m in Schroders Greencoat Wessex Gardens Fund which targets renewables and energy-transition assets across the South West of England.
