Official UK procurement notice
Chapelcross Solar Farm · UK public procurement notice
Authority: Nuclear Restoration Services Limited (Public body)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe contracting authority, Nuclear Restoration Services Limited (“NRS”) will be entering into a 40-year lease and power purchase agreement (with an option to terminate the arrangement at 25 years) with a special purpose vehicle named Chapelcross Energy Project Limited (“CEPL”) relating to land at NRS’ site at the former Chapelcross nuclear power station which has been defueled and is being decommissioned. NRS is contracting with CEPL as nominated and wholly owned by Green Energy International Limited (“GEIL”) on the basis of Regulation 32 of the Public Contracts Regulation 2015.
CPV: Solar energy
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0025 Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016 (Directive 2014/25/EU)
- Procurement category
- Goods
- Notice status
- Awarded without competition
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Direct award (no call for competition)
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 19 Jun 2025, 15:44 BST
- Last source update
- 19 Jun 2025, 15:44 BST
- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-033795- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-055038Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive
- Published justification
NRS is awarding the lease and power purchase agreement to CEPL in accordance with the provisions of regulation 32 of the Public Contract Regulations 2015. <br/><br/>NRS concluded, based on the outcome of a technical report on grid availability (commissioned 2022 and published March 2023) and commercial advice, that the requirements of Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) had been satisfied for the following technical reasons: <br/>(1) The adjacency of the Jockstown Farm solar farm to the Site which is necessary so as to make the development of a solar farm on the Site a viable proposition. A commercial assessment has demonstrated that the development of a 10MW solar farm on the Site would be unviable/uneconomical and, as such, the development by NRS of the Site in isolation would not be a reasonable alternative. GEIL’s [ownership/leasehold interest] in the Site and its novation of the grid connection to CEPL means that NRS is dependent on CEPL developing the Jockstown Farm solar form and therefore CEPL is in an exclusive position.<br/>(2) GEIL has a connection offer from Scottish Power Energy Networks and the absence of alternative grid capacity/connection prior to 2028 meant that an alternative solar farm could not be developed by an alternative developer in/around the Site. Jockstown Farm creates the opportunity as the land that GEIL obtained access to has a lower generation capacity than the headroom in the connection agreement. Whilst NRS was aware that there were other developers in the area seeking connections post 2028, they did not consider this to offer a reasonable alternative due to the delay which it would cause to the project (with resulting economic and carbon savin loss). <br/><br/>NRS therefore reasonably concluded that Regulation 32(2)(b)(ii) had been satisfied and commenced formal negotiations with GEIL [as ultimate owner of CEPL], in respect of contracting with CEPL on this basis.
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chapelcross Energy Project limitedSME | £24,000,000 † | — | Awarded |
Contracts
Contract 033795-2025-1 · Chapelcross Energy Project limitedSME
- Signed
- 19 Jun 2025
- Value
- £24,000,000
- Status
- active
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- Royal Courts Of JusticeMediation bodyReview body
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- Chapelcross Energy Project limitedAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications
Official links; attachments are not copiedNo document links were published on the notice.