Ingka Investments, the investment arm of Ingka Group, has started operations at Kingstree West, a 74.9 MWac (101 MWdc) photovoltaic solar park in Williamsburg County, South Carolina.
Kingstree West is Ingka Investments’ first solar park that is fully developed in-house, starting from own land ownership and ending with a utility scale solar park. The project includes 178,000 solar modules and is expected to produce around 186 GWh of electricity each year, equal to the annual electricity use of about 15,200 South Carolina households.
Construction has been completed according to plan. With operations now started, the site has moved from development and construction into power generation.
"The start of operations at Kingstree West is a big milestone for us, and we are now supplying the grid with new, reliable renewable electricity. We will continue to invest in renewable energy assets to do our part in the transition towards a renewable energy future, with EUR 4.3 billion already invested or committed worldwide."– Frederik de Jong, Head of Renewable Energy at Ingka Investments
"We are proud to welcome this solar park to the United States. It reflects our ongoing commitment to reducing emissions while supporting the transition to renewable energy."– Tolga Öncü, CEO & Chief Sustainability Officer of IKEA US
The project has been fully funded by Ingka Investments, with no added cost for the local community or ratepayers. Williamsburg County is expected to receive about $7.6 million in additional property tax revenues over the project’s life.
When developing a solar park, Ingka Investments considers a range of factors, including access to the electricity grid, land suitability, local planning requirements, safety, environmental studies and the relationship with nearby communities. These factors are assessed before and during construction to support responsible project development, and the Kingstree West site has been carefully planned to limit impact on the natural environment and nearby communities.
Ingka Investments is pursuing South Carolina Solar Habitat Certification for Kingstree West, a voluntary program designed to support native vegetation, pollinator-friendly habitat and biodiversity at solar farms. The project will now begin the program’s habitat establishment and management process alongside its ongoing solar operations.
Ingka Investments owns and operates 49 wind parks across 17 countries and 27 solar parks in nine countries, producing more than 5 TWh of electricity annually. Ingka Investments currently has six renewable energy assets in operation in the US: Wind: Cameron (165 MW), Hoopeston (98 MW); Solar: Misae (240 MW/326.8 MWdc), Sage (57.6 MW/76.3MWdc), Kingstree West (74.9 MW); Battery: Cameron (16.4 MW).
About Ingka Group
With IKEA retail operations in 32 markets, Ingka Group is the largest IKEA retailer and represents 87% of IKEA retail sales. It is a strategic partner to develop and innovate the IKEA business and help define common IKEA strategies. Ingka Group owns and operates IKEA sales channels under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. It has three business areas: IKEA Retail, Ingka Investments and Ingka Centres. Read more on Ingka.com.
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