RWE to build solar farm in Tennessee in tie-up with Facebook, TVA

RWE Renewables will develop a 150-MW solar power plant in Tennessee in partnership with Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), it was announced on Wednesday.

The USD-140-million (EUR 115m) solar farm will be located near Millington in Shelby County. A 110-MW portion of it will support Facebook’s data centre operations in Gallatin and the broader Tennessee Valley.

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The RWE AG (ETR:RWE) unit will own and operate the solar farm via a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with TVA. The partnership is part of TVA’s Green Invest programme for corporate clients.

Construction of the facility is planned to start in the middle of 2022, with the financial investment decision to be made once permitting approvals are in place. The project is expected to come online in late 2023.

“This solar project, which is our third in Tennessee, will help us continue our commitment of 100% renewable energy for our global operations, while also bringing new investment and jobs to the local community,” said Urvi Parekh, head of renewable energy at Facebook. The social network giant announced in April it now supports its operations with 100% renewable energy.

(USD 1.0 = EUR 0.819)