Amazon has submitted plans for a 4MW rooftop solar array to be deployed on its Tilbury fulfilment centre alongside a 3.77MW Tesla battery facility to help power the site, our UK sister site Solar Power Portal has exclusively revealed.
Planning permission is being sought from Thurrock Council by Push Energy, which is developing the site on behalf of the online retail giant.
A 4.074MWp system has been proposed using over 15,000 270W solar PV modules from Jinko Solar.
The system would add to an existing solar array installed at the site of an unknown size, suggesting it is currently less than 1MW as formal planning consent is not required for systems below this threshold under permitted development rules.
The building’s estimated annual electrical demand from the grid currently stands at almost 20GWh per annum, with the new solar PV system predicted to generate just over 3.5GWh each year. Amazon expects all of this electricity to be used on site, contributing approximately 17.7% towards the total site demand.
The new solar installation will add significant generating capacity to a smaller existing array. Image taken from project planning documents submitted by Push Energy on behalf of Amazon.
In addition, 28 Tesla Power Pack units will be installed to the rear of the main building to provide ‘a complimentary capacity’ of 3.77MW. According to the documents the battery installation will draw from the grid to supplement the solar generation, decreasing grid connection stress during periods of peak demand.
The project is the latest uncovered by Solar Power Portal to be proposed by Amazon for its UK sites after documents were found pertaining to the company’s fulfilment centres in Rugeley and Daventry, as well as Doncaster.
However, this is the largest so far and the only project to include battery storage in addition to new solar installations.
Planning also shows that 82 Huawei inverters are also intended for use on the project should it be approved, with a determination date set for 15 October.
An Amazon spokesperson was unable to comment on when the project would be completed or if battery storage was being considered at the company's other UK locations.
