Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband has granted a development consent (DCO) to Evolution Power for its 165MW Stonestreet Green solar-plus-storage project.
The facility is expected to have an export capacity of 99.9 MW. Although Evolution Power does not describe the project as an agrivoltaic (agriPV) facility, it plans to build a “landscape area” at the project that will “greatly improve” the biodiversity of the site.
As a solar project with a capacity of more than 50 MW, the project has been designated as a Nationally Important Infrastructure Project (NSIP), which has meant a more involved planning process. The project was accepted for review and incorporated in July 2024 Solar energy portal ‘NSIP movements in 2025’ preview, published last December.
Although a decision on the project was expected to be made by mid-2025, the DCO was only awarded yesterday.
“Evolution Power welcomes the decision of the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero to grant a Development Consent Order for the Stonestreet Green Solar project, following a recommendation for approval from the Planning Inspectorate,” said Evolution Power director Conor McNally.
The news follows the start of commercial operations of the 373 MW solar plus storage project in Cleve Hill in Julythe first solar project to be approved as an NSIP, and one that has been suggested by some in the industry, has been something of a proof of concept for the viability of developing large-scale solar projects in the UK.
