Working closely in collaboration with TfL Legal, we have advised Transport for London (TfL) on its appointment of SSE Energy Solutions as delivery partner to build purpose-built solar installations to connect to the Tube network. The move, which followed a competitive procurement process, means that TfL will receive zero-carbon electricity straight from the solar installations themselves, bypassing the National Grid.
TfL Legal and our team provided legal support throughout the competitive procurement process and contract award. The team, made up of lawyers from our Energy, Procurement and Real Estate teams, was led by Emma Andrews. The wider team included Andrew Parmar Yee, Tom Doherty and Hannah Groombridge, with Philip Beer and Caroline Hickey providing Real Estate expertise and Laura Wisdom leading Procurement support.
The collaboration will see SSE Energy Solutions work with TfL to identify suitable locations to build the new solar installations. These will likely be required to be close to the TfL network and could incorporate a mixture of solar opportunities, including both ground‑mounted or rooftop solar installations. Once constructed, they could deliver up to 65,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of renewable electricity to the network, which is the equivalent of around two-thirds of the estimated annual consumption of the Victoria line or the electricity consumed each year by around 25,000 homes.
This latest agreement forms a key part of TfL’s long-term Energy Purchasing Strategy, contributing to the wider ambition to use 100 per cent renewable source electricity across TfL’s operations by 2030 and support the Mayor’s goal for London to be a net zero carbon city by 2030.
