Developer of Renewable Energie SSE Renewables has announced that it has opened the first public consultation for a proposed 200 MW of solar energy and 400 MW of storage development.
The proposed Shepway Energy Park is located in Romney Marsh, New Newchurch in the Graafschap Kent and delivers 200 MW Solar Energy Plus a 400 MW Battery Energy Storage System (Bess). The development will be spread over six locations in the Romney Marsh area.
Due to the proposed capacity of the project of the project, the project is considered a national significant infrastructure project (NSIP) and will therefore request a planning installation via the planning inspection and energy secretary instead of via local government channels.
The first phase of early engagement on the project is now open, with local residents and stakeholders invited to comment on the proposed plans of SSE Renewables until July 13, 2025. On June 18, 19 and 21st, personal public information events are held to give the locals the opportunity to find out more about the proposed plans. Answers can also be submitted by e -mail or mail.
After this early engagement period, the developer will take feedback and adjust the plans if appropriate and necessary are deemed necessary. Before the plans are submitted to the planning inspection, SSE Renewables will offer various further opportunities for public comments, including a legal public consultation. Since the project is currently in the very first stages of development, only minimal environmental scoping has been carried out so far.
The development time line is still being confirmed; See Renewables, however, stated that it is expected to be on the site on the site this summer, with a legal consultation that is launched in early 2026 prior to the application for a development assignment order (DCO) that will be submitted in the autumn of next year. The final outcome of the DCO request is expected to be given at the end of 2027 or early 2028, whereby the project will be used by 2033 and will become fully operational.
Huner Dookhit, Senior Project Development Manager at SSE Renewables, expressed the sharpness of the company to get in touch with the local community about the plans for this project and stated: “Insight into the views of local people who live and work in the neighborhood will help us to shape this project”.
Sse is looking for sunshine
The majority of the recent efforts of SSE Renewables in the UK have been in the storage of battery energy, instead of the sun sector, with remarkable curriculum projects of a similar size as the co-Locerist Bess of Shepway Energy Park that comes to the fore in the last of last year.
In August 2024, the developer signed a food agreement with manufacturer of the Sungrow energy storage system to deliver Bess units for his Monk Fryston Bess, a project of 320 MW/640MWH in northern England. The development started in October 2024; Once completed, it is one of the largest Bess developments that are currently active in the UK.
The announcement of SSE Renewables’ Solar NSIP ambitions is hot on the heels of various other large solar developments that touch important milestones on their journey through the British planning system. Last month, both Island Green Power and Res submitted their applications for Solar NSIPs; The former looking for permission to develop the Green Hill Solar Farm, a proposed 500 MW Solar Plus storage project, while looking for this last permission to develop the Steeple Renewables project, a proposed 600 MW Solar PV and storage development of the battery energy on Sturton-le-Steeple.
At the end of March, an important movement also saw in the Solar NSIP Arena, because the planning inspection accepted two PV projects on solar energy on solar energy for research with a collective generation capacity of more than 1 GW. The planning inspection will now determine whether DCOS will be granted for RWEs 320MW Peartree Hill Solar Farm in the East Riding of Yorkshire and PS Renewables and Ørsted’s 740mw One Earth Solar Farm in Nottinghamshire.
