Delivering the largest solar farm in the UK is a monumental task, and one that Keyline Civils Specialist is helping Mytilineos Energy & Metals to achieve. 

Once completed, the Cleve Hill Solar Farm on the north coast of Kent will be the UK’s largest solar and battery energy storage project, consisting of 373MW of solar and over 150MW of battery energy storage. This will provide enough affordable and clean energy to power over 91,000 homes. Beginning construction in April 2023, the project is expected to reach completion in 2025.

The project is of such a scale, with the capacity of the solar park exceeding 50 megawatts (MW), that it is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project. Its size introduced logistical challenges that Mytilineos, a Greek-based industrial and energy company, required their supplier partner to overcome. Keyline Civils Specialist’s Northfleet branch was well-located to deliver to site, and had the capacity to meet the requirements of Mytilineos – the firm approached Keyline directly.

Building a partnership

European conglomerate Mytilineos is well established in the UK, but was a new customer for Keyline Civils Specialist’s Northfleet branch. With a project of this scale being Keyline and Mytilineos’s first time working together, the relationship needed to be cemented quickly.

Lauren Westerman, Branch Manager at Northfleet, discussed the importance of building a partnership in those early stages: “Communication is so important, especially at the start of a new partnership and project. We had to build our relationship with Mytilineos quickly, and were ready to adapt to their needs with a dedicated service – we held regular meetings and continue to be in close contact with their team to ensure a smooth rollout.”

Lowering emissions in the supply chain with Tensar InterAx Geogrid

In a project all about providing clean, renewable energy, a specification that could minimise impact was a priority. 

The Tensar InterAx Geogrid met all the requirements of the project, and, as the product is manufactured in the UK, helped Mytilineos lower emissions accumulated during transportation – in addition to lowering CO2 emissions by reducing the amount of aggregate needed. This had the added benefit of aiding the traffic management plan for the site, as fewer deliveries of aggregate were needed, contributing to keeping the project on time.

Properties of the Tensar geogrid also aided in the project biodiversity net gain. Tensar InterAx Geogrid provides stabilisation rather than reinforcement, protecting the earth layer beneath by spreading the weight of heavy vehicles passing over the geogrid – which means subgrade deformation can be controlled as needed.

Providing flexibility for stock and delivery

Mytilineos required flexibility from their supplier partner – deliveries could be required promptly, and ranged from smaller quantities to 100 rolls of Tensar InterAx Geogrid. 

Close collaboration between Keyline, Tensar and the client provided the adaptability needed for the project. The group collaboration helped Keyline to adjust to the smaller requirements needed by the client, as stock was available in branch – supported by the manufacturer delivering a bulk of stock in one full load to Keyline as the distributor of the product.

Katie Gallagher at Tensar commented, “Communication between a manufacturer and supplier is key, especially when it comes to delivering multiple loads of geogrid to site for such a large project like Cleve Hill Solar Farm. Lauren and her sales team worked extremely close with Tensar’s Internal Sales, Area Civil Engineer and Customer Services, to fulfil Mytilineos’ expectations.

Tensar’s in-house design team were able to turn around a quick feasibility report and preliminary design for Mytilineos. Tensar then informed Keyline which product was specified within this design, and you could say the rest is history!” 

The team at Northfleet adjusted quickly to the needs of Mytilineos, offering to hold the necessary stock on-site at the branch. This meant that the material would be readily available when needed, shortening lead times and helping the project stay on track. Northfleet had the space available to store the large quantities of Tensar InterAx Geogrid relatively close to site – helping the contractor work as efficiently as possible.

The project continues to progress on schedule, and is set to be an important step towards the UK reaching sustainability goals set for 2030. Keyline Civils Specialist and Mytilineos Energy & Metals will be working closely throughout, and continue to develop what has become an effective partnership.

To find out more about how Keyline’s highly experienced team can help support on similar projects, visit https://www.keyline.co.uk/content/breaking-new-ground.