Solar 21

Name

Solar 21

Legal name

Solar 21 Renewable Energy Limited

Website

https://solar21.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Renewable Energy Generation Infrastructure

NAICS

Electric Power Generation (22111), Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Biomass Electric Power Generation (221117)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Renewable Energy Industrial Facilities Construction (Solar, Wind, Storage) (IMAFADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System) (EUAMABAB), Circularity & End-of-Life Technology R&D (PV Recycling Chemistry, Blade Reuse, Design-for-Recycling) (EUAMAOAK)

Keywords

• Renewable energy generation
• Energy from waste
• Anaerobic digestion plants
• Biomass power generation
• Green infrastructure investment

Headquarters

HQ city

Rathcoole

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs): Electricity generators receive green certificates for every MWh of renewable electricity generated. Electricity suppliers buy ROCs to prove the energy they supply is green. Applicable to the Tansterne Biomass plant (22MW) under the UK Renewables Obligation scheme introduced in 2002.
2. Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) — Biomethane: UK government pays eligible installations an incentive per cubic metre of biomethane and MWth of heat produced, index-linked for 20 years. Applicable to biogas plants (Plaxton Bridge and Melton AD) under the non-domestic RHI Clean Growth Strategy.
3. Gate fees for waste processing: Energy from Waste plants charge gate fees for accepting residual waste that would otherwise go to landfill. EFW Project 1 processes RDF (Refuse Derived Fuel). The UK is under pressure to deal with 18 million tonnes of waste going to landfill annually, creating a steady gate fee revenue stream.
4. Biomethane gas offtake and green gas certificates: Biogas plants sell biomethane to the national gas grid under offtake contracts. Additional income received for green gas under the Green Gas Certification Scheme. Plaxton Bridge has a contract with Ørsted for gas offtake and green gas certificates.
5. Carbon capture utilisation (CCUS): CO2 captured at EFW plants can be utilised in industrial applications — specifically manufacture of concrete blocks using fly ash from the energy recovery process at North Lincolnshire Green Energy Park. Potential future revenue from linking to the Drax carbon pipeline.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Solar 21 is a renewable energy infrastructure developer and operator that develops, owns and operates commercial-scale solar PV, biomass, biogas (anaerobic digestion), and energy-from-waste (EFW) plants. The company finances these projects primarily through loan-note investments and generates revenue from electricity sales, biomethane offtake, gate fees for waste processing, and 20-year UK government incentives (Renewable Obligation Certificates, Renewable Heat Incentive). Its planned North Lincolnshire Green Energy Park flagship integrates an Energy Recovery Facility with CCUS, hydrogen, battery and steam storage, plus an integrated plastic recycling facility.

Product overview

Solar 21 is a renewable energy infrastructure investment and development company operating as a unified portfolio of energy generation assets and technologies. The company offers four core renewable energy technologies: Energy from Waste (EFW) for sustainable waste treatment and energy production, Biogas via Anaerobic Digestion for biomethane production, Biomass combustion for power and heat generation, and Solar PV installations. Key flagship projects include the North Lincolnshire Green Energy Park (planned £1Bn facility with CCUS and hydrogen storage), while operational assets include the 22MW Tansterne Biomass Plant, 2.7MWe Plaxton Bridge Biogas Plant, and 26MW Melton EFW Project. The company also employs Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) technology and hydrogen production/storage capabilities. Solar 21 focuses on pre-planning and development of renewable energy plants across the UK and Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Energy from Waste (EFW) / Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) Energy from Waste technology that produces energy from waste not suitable for recycling or composting. Provides sustainable, safe and affordable waste treatment while contributing to carbon emissions reduction and renewable energy targets; processes residual waste/RDF to generate electricity and heat for grid supply and industrial use.
• Biogas / Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Biogas produced through anaerobic digestion where organic matter is broken down to create biomethane — a high-energy gas that can be converted to heat or injected into the national gas grid. Solar 21 sells biomethane under offtake contracts (e.g., to Ørsted) and earns green gas certificates under the Green Gas Certification Scheme, with revenue underpinned by 20-year UK Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) payments.
• Biomass power generation Biomass combustion of waste wood to produce electricity and heat, leveraging the natural regrowth cycle as a renewable, eco-friendly energy source. Plant revenue is underpinned by 20-year Renewable Obligation Certificate (ROC) support under the UK Renewables Obligation scheme introduced in 2002.
• North Lincolnshire Green Energy Park (NLGEP) Large-scale Energy Recovery Facility near Scunthorpe combining 95MW electricity generation (from 380MW thermal) with 10MW hydrogen storage, 30MW battery storage, 120 tonnes steam storage, CCUS technology, and an integrated plastic recycling facility expected to divert 20,000 tonnes of plastic per year from landfill. Powered by up to 760,000 tonnes of residual waste per year, projected to generate enough low-carbon energy to power over 221,000 homes annually.
• Biogas 21 Project 1 (Plaxton Bridge AD Plant) 2.7MWe operational anaerobic digestion plant near Hull that processes 72,000 tonnes of potato waste annually to produce 4–5.4 million cubic metres of biomethane, selling into the UK gas grid under offtake contracts (Ørsted for gas and green gas certificates) and qualifying for 20-year Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) payments.
• Tansterne Biomass Plant 22MW operational biomass power plant near Hull, UK, commissioned February 2018. Combusts locally sourced waste wood to produce electricity and heat under 20-year UK ROC support; named Best Project/Installation at the 2017 Humber Renewables Awards and now owner-operated by Solar 21 subsidiary GB-Bio Ltd.
• EFW Project 1 (Melton EFW) Solar 21's 26MW Energy From Waste plant near Hull, UK, processing Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) with capacity for 80,000 tonnes CO2 savings per annum. Charges gate fees for accepting residual waste that would otherwise go to landfill in a UK market handling 18 million tonnes of waste annually.
• EFW Project 2 Solar 21's second Energy From Waste project being progressed through the development pipeline; site and configuration to be selected based on grid connection, feedstock contracts, gate fees and land options. Will complement the operational Melton EFW Project 1.
• Loan note investment in renewable energy projects Loan note subscription product enabling individual and institutional investors to invest directly in Solar 21's solar, biomass, biogas and EFW projects, with returns underpinned by 20-year UK government-backed incentives (ROCs, RHI) under multi-year index-linked contracts. Distribution routed through Independent Financial Advisors; offering originally created to provide individuals access to renewable energy infrastructure previously unavailable to them.

Quantifiable outcome

• 221,000 homes powered annually by North Lincolnshire Green Energy Park
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BTS BiogascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTS Biogas is Solar 21's primary biogas plant development partner, having built over 200 operational biogas plants across Europe and beyond in the last 10 years. BTS is considered a pioneer in anaerobic digestion plant design and construction, with origins in the South Tyrol region of Italy. BTS has a UK office in Leeds, which is convenient for Solar 21's biogas projects in the Humber area. BTS Biogas was the primary contractor for the Plaxton Bridge and Melton AD biogas plants.
• ØrstedcoreTechnology or IntegrationØrsted is the gas offtake and green gas certificates partner for Solar 21's Plaxton Bridge biogas plant. Ørsted develops, constructs and operates offshore and onshore wind farms, solar farms and energy storage facilities, and bioenergy plants. Headquartered in Denmark, Ørsted employs 6,500 people and had revenue of $11.4 billion in 2018. It was recently ranked the most sustainable company in the world.
• Fichtner Consulting Engineers LtdcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFichtner Consulting Engineers Ltd is Solar 21's engineering consultant for EFW and biomass projects. Fichtner has worked on more than 51 EFW and biomass plants with a combined generation capacity of 1.6GW. It employs over 1,500 staff in more than 50 offices around the world, delivering services in over 110 countries. Fichtner has also acted as Technical Advisor on major EFW portfolio sales (e.g., Viridor sale to KKR for £4.2bn). Solar 21 engaged Fichtner for the management of the Tansterne Biomass plant following the HRSET administration.
• Northern Gas NetworkscoreTechnology or IntegrationNorthern Gas Networks, the gas distribution network operator for the North of England, confirmed the gas-to-grid connection for Solar 21's Plaxton Bridge biogas plant on 27 January 2020. This confirmed that biomethane produced at the plant meets the specifications for injection into the national gas grid.
• AshcourtminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAshcourt was a primary contractor for the construction of the Plaxton Bridge biogas plant alongside BTS Biogas, contributing to the civil engineering and construction works at the project site near Beverley in Yorkshire.
• DraxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolar 21 is exploring the possibility of linking the North Lincolnshire Green Energy Park to the Drax carbon pipeline planned for the Humber region, once that project is consented and built. This would enable CO2 captured at NLGEP to be transported via the Drax pipeline for storage.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Drax Group: UK's largest renewable power generator via biomass at Drax Power Station; comparable in biomass combustion, ROCs revenue exposure, and Humber-region operations. Solar 21 is also exploring linking NLGEP CCUS to Drax's planned carbon pipeline, making them direct collaborators and competitors in UK low-carbon power.
• Viridor: Major UK Energy-from-Waste operator with multiple ERFs processing residual waste, comparable in feedstock-driven EFW economics and gateway fee revenue. Sold to KKR for £4.2bn — illustrates the institutional scale and exit valuation that the NLGEP project aspires to.
• Severn Trent Green Power: UK operator of multiple anaerobic digestion (biogas) plants producing biomethane for grid injection. Direct comparable in AD technology, RHI revenue streams, and green gas certificate monetisation that powers Solar 21's Plaxton Bridge and Melton plants.
• Infinis Energy: UK-based independent power producer focused on landfill gas and biomass generation with ROCs exposure. Closely comparable business model — small team, ROCs-subsidised electricity generation from waste/biomass sources, and development of further UK renewable capacity.

Broad incumbents

• Shanks Group (now part of Suez/ICS): UK-focused waste services and EFW operator comparable to Solar 21's residual waste processing and EFW development focus (the Shanks & McEwan / Suez Waste Solutions portfolio historically competed in this market).
• Equinor: International energy major with growing UK renewables portfolio including hydrogen production. Comparable in renewable energy development, hydrogen ambition, and CCUS research investment relevant to Solar 21's NLGEP roadmap.
• Biffa: UK waste management major with growing EFW capability via the Energy Works facility and partnerships. Comparable vertically integrated waste-to-energy business model and exposure to UK landfill diversion policy targets.
• ENGIE UK: Global utility with UK operations spanning renewables, biomass, and energy from waste. Comparable across all four of Solar 21's technology areas, though with materially greater scale, balance sheet, and project development capability.
• Veolia UK: Operates multiple UK Energy Recovery Facilities as part of a global waste management and energy portfolio. Comparable in EFW technology, residual waste processing, and gateway fee revenue model, but with vastly greater scale, balance sheet, and contracting capacity.

Others

• Fichtner Consulting Engineers: Engineering consultancy to Solar 21 on EFW and biomass — has worked on 51+ EFW/biomass plants (1.6GW combined) and advised on portfolio sales including Viridor to KKR. Adjacent ecosystem participant in UK waste-to-energy and renewable power infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/solar21
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/solar-21

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Solar 21