TELIS ENERGY: Telis Announces First Major Project in UK

A rising force in European renewable energy, Telis Energy emerged in 2022 to contribute to a longstanding issue across Europe – decarbonisation and carbon neutrality by 2050. The European Union has made clear its ambition to become a climate-neutral continent in the next 25 years. A legal agreement, the European Green Deal aims to deliver a net-zero greenhouse gas emission economy, and the power sector is at the heart of the transformation.

Currently, 10.5% of global emissions come from burning of fossil fuels for energy. In 2022, 3593.076 Mt CO₂ was emitted from fuel combustion in Europe (42% oil, 29% natural gas, 26.5% coal (33% from electricity and heat production)), behind only China and the US on the global stage. This figure must drop significantly to get on track to hit the various targets set out in the Green Deal. 

Renewable energy infrastructure is critical and is being rolled out across Europe like never before. But alongside generating capacity of wind and solar is the need for storage to achieve balance in grids. Connectivity is also essential, allowing integration between nations. 

Telis Energy has made its ambitions clear: fast-tracking the future of energy by developing a pipeline of 10GW across Europe by 2030. 

CEO of Telis Energy UK, William Duncan, tells Energy Focus that the company’s inaugural project plans to mobilise in Lincolnshire after community consultation and consents are complete. 

LEODA SOLAR 

The Leoda solar farm is expected to produce 500-600 MW of green energy (making it nationally significant) in a landscape-led approach that integrates solar PV assets with the local environment. At the same time, a modern battery energy storage system (BESS) will be installed to enhance energy security and resilience for the national grid.

“Our design will become a model for biodiversity, preserving the area’s natural character and fostering co-existence between renewable energy infrastructure and the surrounding landscape,” explains Duncan. 

“The site in Leadenham, south of Lincoln, has good irrigation, a good grid connection, and is flat land. The majority is not best and most versatile (BMV) agricultural land (subject to testing). Also, the area sits outside all major environmental designations (National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, etc), has low population density, and very good natural screening with hedgerows and topography.” 

The project directly supports the UK’s energy transition while investing into a local community and environment. Under the Planning Act 2008, the Leoda Solar Farm qualifies as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) requiring a Development Consent Order (DCO) to proceed. The decision-maker is the Secretary of State for Energy rather than the Local Planning Authority, in theory, allowing largescale projects of national importance to fruition faster. 

“Good design is a critical and meaningful step,” says Duncan of the next stage. “Irrespective of good design being a planning requirement, the build out of major clean energy infrastructure needs to be sustainable and balance the needs of communities.”

He is excited about the hosting of both generation capacity and storage infrastructure on the same site. Telis Energy commissioned a report by Cornwall Insight, completed in 2024, which found that co-hosting of assets is a promising solution considering the state of UK grid connectivity and the bottleneck that exists currently. Hybrid Clean Energy Hubs (HEHs) will use a single grid connection to more effectively bring modern clean energy online. Duncan, who worked as Project Director for grid connections at National Grid for 13 years, is only too aware of the grid congestion problem faced by developers. 

“We are steadfast in our commitment to bringing innovative clean energy hubs to the UK and are confident that this approach will solve multiple issues from intermittency to grid connection issues. To make this ambition a reality, the industry will need the support of policymakers to ensure that regulation is adapted to match innovation in the sector. We look forward to working with partners and the UK government to inform this approach,” he said. 

Currently, the Telis Energy team is busy planning a number of UK developments. “There are projects that are progressing, but they will not be publicised until we have increased certainty on grid. In 12 months, energy policy has moved in a way that no one thought it would. It has gone from being market-led to a centrally-led approach. That has taken some less experienced players by surprise and has been a shock to the system. With deep sector experience we have been able to surf the huge wave of uncertainty successfully, but we must always be on top of our game to stay here,” adds Duncan. 

Telis works closely with Dalcour Maclaren, a specialist consultancy and advisor with a culture that is designed to help utilities and infrastructure businesses to develop projects that allow for a more sustainable future. This partnership helps to minimise risk. Experts in land and environmental strategy, Dalcour Maclaren is busy with Telis on the Leoda project. 

“It may seem obvious, but the land is key to unlocking developments, and it’s remarkable the different challenges that can be faced across solar array and cable areas. Our teams’ early involvement can help resolve many of these matters by working closely with landowners, tenants and farmers,” says Izzy Bingham, Associate Director and Lands Lead at Dalcour Maclaren, highlighting the importance of land acquisition consent for solar developments.

“They are an important part of our supply chain and we are in regular contact,” says Duncan.

EXPANDING CAPACITY

Telis Energy has grown quickly, now home to 70 people across four markets: the UK, Germany, Italy, and France. Importantly, the company is backed by global investment firm the Carlyle Group – one of the largest and most diversified international investors, with around $425 billion AUM – and that gives encouragement to all involved. 

“In the UK, we are in solar, battery and wind,” confirms Duncan. “We have a pipeline of projects with a variety of maturity. Some are searching for land while others have the land assembled and are in the planning process. Others are about to go into planning, but we are holding with the risk around grid reform and currently energy policy which is in a state of flux.” 

Longer-term, the issue around grid connectivity and grid congestion is a key topic for Telis Energy and other renewable developers. Ageing infrastructure, new energies, generation from new areas, capital requirement and a large surge in the applications for grid connection have caused a backlog of around 405GW from renewable projects alone. A fresh approach is required at national level if the UK is going to develop innovative ideas and bring ambitious projects online. Developers must be able to see revenue-generating ability, and consumers must be able to realise the potential of green energy rather than hoping on a promise that might exist way beyond the horizon. Telis Energy continues to monitor the situation, using the extensive knowledge in its team to map a way forward while ensuring technology and innovation is at the heart of each new concept. 

“We are looking at a number of ideas,” admits Duncan. “We are mindful of the changes in energy and the risk that creates and so we have a number of back-up plans alongside each idea in case a risk materialises. That means we are always looking at different geographic locations, different technologies, or different sizes of technology. 

“There has been an unprecedented amount of policy change over the past few years,” he adds. “That peaked at the end of 2023 and will continue through 2025, hopefully dipping in 2026 – there has been so much change in terms of market reform, charging reform, grid connection, planning reform, infrastructure build-out. Keeping on top of all of that detailed change and steering a business through that while riding a wave of unpredictability, has been a real challenge. Some other companies have slipped off their surfboard and been swallowed by the wave.” 

Continuing through such a challenging period and not only surviving but thriving is something Duncan is particularly proud of. Market volatility has seen many companies fail, and others look to move operations to areas with more supportive sustainability policies. With Carlyle Group backing, operations across Europe, a strong team and projects underway, Telis Energy is perfectly positioned to assist in developing the energy generating capacity of the future. 

“For Telis, and businesses like ours, the key is to ensure that you have land rights and you can get into the grid queue. If you do not have land rights, you cannot get into the queue and if you cannot connect you cannot operate your assets. We also need to assess that our projects are classed as needed as the National Energy Systems Operator is assessing all energy projects. If they are not needed, then you are not connecting anytime soon. We need to complete the risk assessment across our entire portfolio so we can ensure that each project is needed,” Duncan concludes. 

When Leoda Solar breaks ground, and the ambition of Telis Energy starts to become reality, expect to see more from this strong and dedicated business as it carves out its niche as a hybrid energy hub developer, contributing in a meaningful way to carbon neutrality in the next quarter century.