The three projects, held up under the previous government, were referred to by Chris Hewett, Chief Executive of Solar Energy UK, in his interview with REI earlier this week, as he called for ‘clear leadership and fast decisions’. Low Carbon’s Gate Burton in Lincolnshire, Sunnica on the Suffolk/Cambridgeshire border and Mallard Pass, on either side of the East Coast Mainline in Lincolnshire and Rutland, received consent on Friday.
Clear leadership
The capacities of Sunnica and Gate Burton will both come to 500MW, while that of Mallard Pass will come to 350MW. Their collective capacity is about two thirds of the amount of solar energy installed on rooftops and on the ground last year, put at 1.9GW by Solar Media. They will be a major step forward for decarbonising the UK’s power supplies, strengthening energy security, pushing down bills and reaching net zero.
“Solar Energy UK is delighted that the new Secretary of State has approved three nationally significant solar farms in his first week in office. This is just the kind of clear leadership that will increase investor confidence and show that Britain is serious about tackling the climate emergency with the urgency that is needed,” said Chris Hewett, Chief Executive of trade association Solar Energy UK.
Another large-scale solar farm, the 373MW Cleve Hill project in Kent, is currently being built, while the 420MW Longfield project in Hertfordshire received consent last year. Further such projects are in the planning pipeline.
Image from Dreamtime shows a UK solar farm