Solar construction contractor Xeden Energy has invested in its first Cat® machines from Finning UK & Ireland as it expands the equipment used to deliver ground-mounted solar projects across the UK.
The investment includes two Cat 313 hydraulic excavators and one Cat 320 hydraulic excavator, which will work on earthmoving, site preparation, drainage and trenching across the company’s solar farm projects.
Established in 2021 and based in London, Xeden Energy, Construction and Renewables specialises in large-scale solar projects, delivering piling, mechanical and electrical installation, alongside the wider civil and infrastructure activities required to prepare and complete sites.
Xeden’s investment comes as the UK solar market continues to expand. Government figures show there were more than 2.1 million solar installations across the UK by the end of July 2026, with total installed capacity reaching 23 GW, at least 38 per cent of which came from ground-mounted or standalone solar installations.
Mahmut Aydin, Director at Xeden Energy, said: “We work on projects across the country, so the aftercare for the machines is just as important to us as the equipment itself. If an excavator is working hundreds of miles from our base, we need to know we can still get the same level of service and support.
“We’re continuing to grow and take on larger solar projects. Bringing the Cat excavators into the fleet gives us reliable machines for the civil engineering side of the work, as well as one support network wherever the project happens to be.”
The excavators are equipped with integrated Cat technology including Cat Grade with 2D, which provides operators with on-screen guidance to manage depth and slope when carrying out work such as grading and trenching. Cat 2D E-Fence can also be used to set boundaries around the machine, helping operators work on busy solar installations.
Xeden and Finning can also use telemetry data in the form of VisionLinkTM to remotely monitor information including machine location, utilisation, fuel consumption and diagnostic fault codes across the fleet, giving the team greater visibility of equipment working on geographically dispersed projects.
The machines have been supplied with a three-year/3,000-hour warranty alongside a matching Customer Value Agreement (CVA) covering servicing. The agreement provides Xeden with a fixed hourly servicing cost covering parts, labour and travel, with Finning managing servicing wherever the machines are operating in the UK.
Under the Fuel Promise Scheme operators who purchase a new Cat machine with a CVA are given a model-specific fuel consumption benchmark. If the machine exceeds that benchmark over three years or 6,000 hours, Finning reimburses the customer with credits that can be spent on Finning parts and service.
Charlie Dennis, Territory Account Manager for the South East at Finning UK & Ireland, said: “Xeden’s equipment moves between projects around the country, so they need consistent servicing, access to engineers and visibility of what is happening with the machines wherever they are working.
“We’ve got one of the strongest dealer and product support networks in the UK, so whether Xeden has a machine working in the South East or in Scotland, it is supported through the same Finning network.
“We have branches and field support across the country, backed by our national parts availability, which means we can provide a consistent level of service wherever their projects are.”
To find out more about Cat machines and technology from Finning UK & Ireland, visit: www.finning.com/en_GB/industries/construction.html
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