Plans revealed for £224m power and battery plant in Nottinghamshire
A public consultation has been launched by a major renewables firm with a view to bringing forward proposals for a “nationally significant” project in Sturton-le-Steeple, Nottinghamshire.
Early proposals from RES consist of up to 400MW of solar energy generation and 200MW of battery storage.
RES says it is also investigating the possibility of incorporating other renewable technologies into the proposals.
If the scheme gets the go-ahead, RES says the Steeple Renewables Project will be capable of producing clean, green electricity for approximately 156,884 homes every year, around 45% of all homes in Nottinghamshire.
The site sits next to the West Burton power station, which has recently been decommissioned, and will be turned into the UK’s first prototype fusion power station by the UK Atomic Energy Authority.
RES says the solar power and battery storage plant will cost around £224m to build and support 400 jobs over the two-year construction project.
A statement from RES said: “We are in the early stages of considering a number of parcels of land near to the village of Sturton-le-Steeple to bring forward a renewable energy project.
“The plan to the right indicates the areas of land under consideration, the full extent and usage of land will be confirmed in our next stage of consultation in 2024.
“The decommissioning of West Burton Power Station has unlocked an opportunity to utilise the existing grid infrastructure and grid capacity at West Burton Power Station. If the project is progressed, this proximity to the grid will also help to reduce local impacts, limiting the amount of new infrastructure that would otherwise be required to access the grid.
“We believe that the land we are exploring at Sturton-le-Steeple is perfectly placed to deliver a project that can help the UK reach its decarbonisation goals, whilst minimising impacts on the local community. Steeple Renewables Project presents an opportunity for this part of Nottinghamshire to continue its historic role of helping to power the UK.”
The early informal consultation will run until December 4, with two in-person events planned, in South Leverton on Friday November 3 and in Sturton-le-Steeple on Saturday November 4.
