UK’s largest solar farm gets go-ahead on Notts/Lincs border
Ed Miliband – the Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero – has approved proposals for Cottam Solar Project, which is set to become the UK’s largest solar farm.
Cottam will be installed on sites in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire and will supply up to 600 MWac of renewable electricity to the National Grid. The project will both generate and store electricity by including a 600 MW battery storage facility. Cottam will distribute electricity through the existing substation at the former coal-powered Cottam Power Station.
Island Green Power (IGP), a developer of utility-scale solar energy projects and battery storage systems in the UK, Spain, Italy, Australia, and New Zealand, oversaw the development process including the sourcing of land, planning consents, and grid connections.
Bob Psaradellis, CEO at Island Green Power, said: “We are delighted to receive planning consent for Cottam which demonstrates our commitment to delivering clean, reliable, and sustainable energy by working in partnership with communities, local authorities, and key stakeholders. The project will play a vital role in supporting the UK’s transition to a low carbon economy, generating enough clean, renewable, and secure energy to power 180,000 households annually.”
Tara Chopra, technical director (EIA and major infrastructure) at planning consultancy Lanpro, added: “We are delighted with the Secretary of State’s decision, which is the culmination of three years’ work by Lanpro on behalf of Island Green Power.
“Thanks to this decision, the scheme will provide affordable, clean power to hundreds of thousands of homes in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. In doing so, it has a significant role to play in meeting the country’s Net Zero target. Furthermore, it’s an encouraging indication of the new government’s commitment to renewable energy which we hope will result in other positive resolutions on behalf of our clients in the renewables sector.”
