INEOS USA LLC d/b/a INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA announced today it has entered into a renewable power purchase agreement which will enable the construction of a new 310-megawatt solar project located in north central Texas. The INEOS Hickerson Solar Farm will be constructed, owned and operated by a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, the world’s largest generator of renewable energy from wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage.
Cool Springs Solar Energy Center in Bainbridge, Georgia. Image Credit: NextEra Energy Resources, LLC
The entire output of the new solar project will be dedicated to INEOS O&P USA and is projected to cover the net purchased electricity load of all 14 of INEOS O&P USA’s manufacturing, fractionation and storage facilities in the U.S. The new solar project will be located in Bosque County, Texas, and is ultimately expected to produce 730,000 megawatt hours of clean energy annually – the equivalent of over 68,000 homes’ annual electricity use – and is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 320,000 tons per year.
“INEOS O&P USA seeks to be a bellwether of what the petrochemical community can do to adopt renewable energy among its long-term energy demands, and this is one of many important steps being taken globally to reduce the carbon footprint of all the INEOS businesses,” said CEO Mike Nagle.
“We’re pleased to work with INEOS O&P USA and support the company’s renewable energy goals,” said Matt Handel, senior vice president of development for NextEra Energy Resources. “We commend INEOS for taking a leading role in decarbonizing the petrochemical industry.”
Construction on the INEOS Hickerson Solar Farm is expected to commence in Q1 2024, with a planned commercial operation date by December 2025.