127-MW solar project on former Pennsylvania coal mine powers aluminum manufacturing facility

Competitive Power Ventures announced a solar power PPA with Hydro, an international aluminum and energy company headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with 27 manufacturing facilities in North America.

Energy from CPV’s Maple Hill solar facility will power Hydro’s aluminum extrusion facility in Cressona, Pennsylvania, one of the largest of its kind in the world. The company employs about 1,100 workers in Schuylkill County.

Maple Hill, in Portage Township, Pennsylvania, began construction earlier this year and will start providing power to the Hydro Cressona facility in summer of 2022. The 127-MW_DC facility will consist of 237,000 solar panels that utilize the latest bifacial technology and a single-axis tracking system to maximize energy production.

“CPV is pleased to be partnering with an international leader in the aluminum and energy industries, and we look forward to bolstering their renewable energy pipeline,” said CPV executive VP Sean Finnerty. “Leveraging Maple Hill — built on a former coal mine — to power a world-leading extrusion facility is a fantastic example of how clean energy can dovetail with responsible economic growth and development.”

CPV’s PPA with Hydro is the first long term energy contract signed by Hydro in the U.S. The company has a strong focus on sustainability and recently announced plans to invest $48.3 million in Cressona, Pennsylvania, to support the growing transportation, distribution and industrial market segments in North America.

“Utilizing a renewable energy provider like CPV in the production of our aluminum products is the perfect complement for Hydro’s sustainability goals, and we’re excited to be the first site in North America to take this step,” said Mike Hammer, senior director of operations at Hydro Cressona. “The clean, locally-generated energy from CPV’s Maple Hill site makes it an ideal facility to support our investments and world-leading capabilities in Cressona.”

News item from Competitive Power Ventures

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Original Source: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2021/08/competitive-power-ventures-solar-ppa-hydro-aluminum/