Leading renewable energy consultancy Natural Power has been appointed as the technical expert and client representative for Network Rail on the construction phase of the landmark Bloy’s Grove Solar Project – a first-of-its-kind initiative in which Network Rail will procure renewable power directly through a corporate power purchase agreement (CoPPA) with an independent power producer.
The project is now confirmed with EDF Renewables and has moved to the construction phase.
As part of its role, Natural Power is delivering comprehensive construction monitoring services, helping to ensure compliance with the technical and performance requirements defined under the CoPPA.
These services include:
• Review of project design documentation including datasheets, single-line diagrams, and technical specifications.
• Ongoing construction oversight, with regular site visits to monitor progress and quality of works.
• Quarterly construction monitoring memoranda, benchmarking on-site progress against the final investment decision (FID) construction programme.
• Certification of milestones, including verification of construction and pre-commissioning requirements.
• Ad hoc site reports and risk assessments, as requested by the client, to provide agile support throughout the construction timeline.
William Delabre, Head of Solar at Natural Power, said: “We’re proud to support Network Rail on such a landmark project for UK infrastructure and the energy transition. Bloy’s Grove represents a model for future public-private partnerships driving sustainability at scale.
“This partnership underscores the growing task of technical consultancy support in securing reliable, long-term renewable energy supply across the UK’s essential infrastructure network. Specifically, our role in this project ensures transparency, accountability, and technical rigour throughout construction.”
Natural Power has already provided technical support to Network Rail during the initial tender process which led to EDF’s Bloy’s Grove project being selected. The three phases of this work included helping to define technical specifications and evaluation criteria which aligned with Network Rail’s requirements, followed by undertaking technical evaluations of the submitted bids, and finally, providing support on technical matters during negotiations with the winning bidder.
The technical support provided included assessment of project development status, assessment of project construction timeline, review of technical interfaces with Network Rail and the energy supplier and providing input on performance guarantees.
Located in Swainsthorpe, Norfolk, the Bloy’s Grove Solar Project is a 49.9 MWac solar farm expected to generate 64 GWh of clean electricity annually, enough to power approximately 20,000 UK homes each year. The project marks a major step forward in Network Rail’s decarbonisation strategy, representing its first direct renewable energy procurement from an independent generator. The project is being developed by EDF Renewables.
With solar power being the largest renewable energy sector in the world, Natural Power has built a specialist team of solar energy experts that can look at the potential and development of new solar sites and deliver solar projects. It offers support and advice on the successful development of solar and energy storage projects, from early-stage feasibility analysis to repowering and the optimisation of existing asset performance.
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