Work is underway on the 134 MWdc (107 MWac) Arche Solar project in Fulton County, Ohio, near Toledo.  

The project is being developed under a 50:50 partnership between bp America and Lightsource bp. bp America said it secured a power-purchase agreement with Facebook parent company Meta for the project’s capacity.

The energy generated at Arche Solar will deliver power to the existing East Fayette substation, located adjacent to an existing 138 kV transmission line. The project is expected to enter service in early 2024.

Property leases are 35 years with options to extend for 5 to 15 years.

The project was initially pursed by Texas-based 7x Energy, which filed an application with the Ohio Siting Board in 2020 for Arche Solar. In mid-2021, bp America bought around 9 GW of solar development opportunities from 7x Energy for $220 million. Also included in the sale was 1 GW of safe harbor equipment.

McCarthy Building Cos’ Renewable Energy & Storage team will serve as the Ohio project’s main contractor, and will install solar panels and smart solar trackers from First Solar and Nextracker, respectively.

The project is part of bp’s plans to develop 20 GW of net renewable generating capacity by 2025 and 50 GW by 2030.