The four CfD-backed PPAs cover AGR’s Eaton Socon, Little Hale, Priory Generation and Wymondley projects, located across Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire and Hertfordshire, which total 192MW of solar PV capacity.
April 27, 2026
Business-facing utility SmartestEnergy has agreed power purchase agreements (PPA) for four UK solar and storage projects with developer AGR Renewables, all backed by Contracts for Difference (CfD).
The four CfD-backed PPAs cover AGR's Eaton Socon, Little Hale, Priory Generation and Wymondley projects, located across Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire and Hertfordshire, which total 192MW of solar PV capacity. They also include an undisclosed amount of battery energy storage system (BESS) capacity. 
They are the four projects that were awarded under the UK Government’s CfD Allocation Round 7 (AR7). AGR said then that the CfDs covered 146.1MW of capacity at a strike price of £65.23/MWh. CfDs provide renewable projects in the UK with a minimum guaranteed revenue backed by the government. 
The agreements with SmartestEnergy provide AGR with a route-to-market for its projects from commissioning to end of CfD tenor. The announcement didn't clarify when the projects would come online: only Wymondley is listed on AGR's site, and it doesn't have a commissioning target date. Eaton Socon meanwhile was acquired last year from Cambridge Power and should already be under construction. 
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John Collier, Investment Director at AGR Renewables, said: “A reliable and flexible route to market PPA is crucial for projects of this size, and finding the right partner required an intentional approach. We needed to source a partner who could combine strong pricing with deep market expertise, and help us navigate the complexities of bringing large transmission-connected solar sites online." 
SmartestEnergy is owned by Japanese conglomerate Marubeni, while AGR is backed by investor Railpen. 
SmartestEnergy has been highly active in signing PPAs and tolls with renewable and BESS owner-operators in the past year. It has signed similar CfD-backed PPAs with AlphaReal and Low Carbon, plus a BESS toll with Eku Energy. 
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Cameron Murray
Senior Reporter, Informa
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