TfL and EDF Renewables 15 year agreement will deliver clean energy for Tube and grid

Transport for London (TfL) has appointed EDF Renewables UK, through its subsidiary Longfield Solar Energy Farm Limited, to generate and deliver green electricity via a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) over 15 years.

Photo: Mete Coban MBE, Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Lilli Matson, TfL’s Chief Safety, Health and Environment Officer, and CEO of EDF Renewables, Matthieu Hue

The contract will see a new solar facility built in Longfield, near Chelmsford in Essex, generating renewable energy for the Tube and supporting the decarbonisation of the National Grid.

The new solar farm will provide approximately 20% of its output to TfL. Construction is expected to begin in 2026 and, when completed, could contribute around 400 GWh per year to the national grid towards the end of the decade.

Over the 15-year duration of supply under the contract, TfL expects to save over 28,000 tonnes of carbon. As London's largest single consumer of electricity, the contract also guarantees generated renewable power to TfL at a fixed price, protecting TfL against market volatility and potential disruptions.

TfL's long term energy purchasing strategy is to purchase up to 70% of the total electricity it needs through PPAs, with the remainder mainly through a flexible green tariff. This will contribute to the wider ambition to use 100% renewable source electricity across TfL's operations by 2030, supporting the Mayor's goal for London to be a net zero carbon city by 2030. 

Lilli Matson, TfL's Chief Safety, Health and Environment Officer, said, "As one of the largest electricity consumers in the UK, we are absolutely committed to doing what we can to decarbonise London through clean, renewable energy sources. This PPA is a landmark moment for us as this agreement enables EDF Renewables UK to invest in a brand new facility for clean electricity supply for our Tube network and GB's grid – a significant step in our mission to make all our services powered this way by 2030 and a new green era for the Tube.

"We are using our purchasing power to make public transport the most environmentally sustainable choice Londoners can make. By giving EDFR the security to invest in new renewable energy sources in the UK, we are also creating new green jobs, improving the local biodiversity and wildlife, and stimulating the national economy. This will open doors to more public-private approaches to further accelerate the decarbonisation of GB's grid."

Matthieu Hue, CEO of EDF Renewables UK, said, "This agreement is built upon our shared commitment to sustainability and investing in clean energy, helping to power essential public services with low-carbon electricity and support the UK's journey to net zero."

Rollo Maschietto, Interim Head of Power at the REA (Renewable Energy Association), said, "This is exactly the kind of leadership we need from major public bodies to unlock investment in clean energy infrastructure. TfL is helping to bring forward large-scale UK solar and the more solar we deploy, the lower bills will be and the less exposed we'll be to volatile fossil fuel markets. This is a blueprint for how the public sector can get behind the energy transition while supporting green jobs and strengthening our energy security."

Rachel Cary, Head of Industrial Strategy at Energy UK, said, "It's great to see EDF partnering with Transport for London (TfL) to deliver locally sourced solar energy – a great example of how collaboration can help power London's vital public transport network sustainably.

"Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) are a powerful tool to unlock investment in renewables. They help reduce system costs, improve air quality, and offer organisations like TfL long-term price stability - all while accelerating the transition to a cleaner, more secure energy system."

TfL is further expanding its renewable energy portfolio by launching a tender for a delivery partner to work collaboratively to develop purpose-built solar farms to connect directly to the London Underground network. In the long term these private wire schemes could generate up to 64 megawatts (MW) of electricity for the network, which is approximately 5% of the electricity needed to run the Tube network. The outcome of the tender will be announced once the process completes.

The EDFR PPA purchasing commitment coincided with London Mayor Sadiq Khan launching a new climate finance taskforce, chaired by Dr Rhian-Mari Thomas of the Green Finance Institute and made up of both investors and enablers of investment in climate projects, to help to unlock billions of long-term, flexible private finance.