EDP Renewables, Walmart Ink PPA for Texas Solar Project

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Walmart Incorporated's (NYSE:WMT) (Bentonville, Arkansas) latest move toward its goal of achieving net-zero emissions from its global operations by 2040 involves the purchase of renewable energy from a solar farm in Texas being developed by EDP Renewables North America (Houston, Texas), a unit of Energias de Portugal (Lisbon, Portugal).

While the press release from EDP does not name a specific solar site for the power purchase agreement (PPA), a look at the agreement and EDP's construction activity reveals only one plant that fits the mold. The PPA is for 162 megawatts (MW) of power from a 180-MW solar facility for a 15-year period, and there is only one 180-MW EDP solar project in Texas, construction of which is imminent. The Azalea Springs solar farm will be situated near Lufkin, located in east Texas, about 60 miles from the Louisiana border. The facility will use more than 408,000 solar panels to achieve 180 MW of generation. Construction is expected to begin soon, putting the facility on track for completion in 2025. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can click here for more details on the project.

This isn't the first time EDP Renewables and Walmart have teamed up. Under existing PPAs, Walmart procures 233 MW of utility-scale solar and wind power and 36 MW of distributed solar power from the company.

And in the future, Walmart will have new and expanded Texas properties as it completes projects in its backlog, and EDP Renewables' Texas presence could grow as well. Currently in Texas, Walmart is underway with upgrades of distribution centers in Plainview and New Braunfels. Late last year at the New Braunfels facility, Walmart began performing selective demolition and renovations to more than a quarter of the 1.2 million-square-foot facility's footprint. When completed this summer, new equipment for handling materials and other supporting technology will increase the efficiency of the facility's operations. In Plainview, located in the Texas Panhandle, Walmart is performing similar upgrades and renovations to its 1.07 million-square-foot distribution center. General contractor Mycon General Contractors (Dallas, Texas) is expected to complete the project toward the end of this summer. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project reports on the New Braunfels and Plainview projects.

Walmart may have even larger undertakings in store for the Lone Star State. The company is considering a milk-processing plant in Robinson, on the outskirts of Waco. The project would entail constructing the 800,000- to 900,000-square-foot facility in a local industrial park. Construction could begin this year, which would put the plant on track for completion in 2026. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.

In addition to the Azalea Springs project, EDP has other renewable energy projects in store for Texas. The largest of these is for the addition of 406,000 First Solar Incorporated (NASDAQ:FSLR) (Tempe, Arizona) solar panels to provide another 150 MW of generation to the 240-MW Cattlemen solar farm near Thorndale, about 45 miles northeast of Austin. The new panels could be added from this summer, putting the project on track for completion in the second half of 2025. Subscribers can click here for more details.

Industrial Info also is tracking $210 million worth of EDP Renewables battery energy storage projects in Texas, although these remain a couple of years from their anticipated start dates. EDP is considering adding lithium-ion battery energy storage systems near Reklaw and New Summerfield in east Texas, and in Colorado County, about 80 miles west of Houston. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project reports.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).