On the Scene
Project Owners Break Ground on 130MW Solar Project in Texas
From left: Josh Cottle, Mike Nagle, Bill Sloane, John Caffey and Gary Wallace.
Photo courtesy of Ineos Olefins and Polymers USA
Officials of INEOS Olefins and Polymers USA, along with NextEra Energy Resources, recently had a groundbreaking for INEOS Hickerson Solar, a 130-MW solar energy project in Bosque County, Texas. The project follows the company’s recently signed renewable power purchase agreement with NextEra Energy Resources, a large renewable energy generator.
The project will be constructed, owned and operated by a NextEra Energy Resources subsidiary, with its entire output dedicated to INEOS, which has a goal to cover the net purchased energy load for all 14 of the company’s U.S. manufacturing, fractionation and storage facilities. The solar energy project is set to begin commercial operation by December 2025.
“This solar project is a crucial step in our global efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of the INEOS business,” said CEO Mike Nagle in a release.
The project is expected to produce 730,000 megawatt-hours, equivalent to the annual power use of more than 68,000 homes, and is set to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 310,000 tons annually, INEOS said. The manufactuter operates 184 facility sites across 31 countries.
It said it has put in place plans and actions to help lead the global transition to a net-zero economy by 2050, with a goal to move to a more circular economy in which materials are reused to their maximum extent as part of an overall greenhouse gas emissions strategy.
Petter Skantze, vice president of infrastructure development for NextEra Energy Resources, said the company supports the INEOS renewable energy objectives. “We commend INEOS for pioneering the decarbonization of the petrochemical industry,” he said.
