Solar and energy storage company Anesco has been given the green light to develop a 48MW solar power plant in Coven, Staffordshire.
South Staffordshire Council granted development consent for the project yesterday (October 3). Construction is expected to start in early 2025.
The site will benefit from cutting-edge biodiversity improvements to support local wildlife and some of the country’s most threatened species. These improvements exceed planning requirements and will result in an estimated net biodiversity benefit of more than 200%.
Once completed, the solar PV power plant will be operational for 40 years. Afterwards, the modules and infrastructure will be removed and the land will be returned to agricultural use.
Anesco CEO Hildagarde McCarville welcomed the council’s decision, claiming the project will “deliver significant environmental benefits and form part of the renewable energy infrastructure and security of supply the country so desperately needs”.
“South Staffordshire Council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and developed an action plan that includes encouraging renewable energy sources for energy supply. The project is fully in line with these plans while actively contributing to the UK’s energy transition and net zero target,” said McCarville.
South Staffordshire Council has turned its attention to renewable energy generation projects such as Anesco’s to help tackle the climate crisis. Recently, the council approved the development of a 22.5 MW solar power plant by Renewable Connections, a solar and battery developer founded by Armstrong Capital Management, in July 2024.
UK renewable energy capacity growing 3.9% year-on-year
The UK renewable energy industry continues to go from strength to strength and has been helped by strong policy decisions and support from the new Labor government since its election.
Data released by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) shows a total of 2.1 GW of new renewable energy generation capacity came online in the year to June 2024, an increase of 3.9 % compared to the previous year. About two-thirds of this came from solar energy.
The results of the recent sixth auction round (AR6) of the government’s Contracts for Difference (CfD) program also saw a total of 93 ground-based solar PV projects, with a combined capacity of 3.3 GW received support. AR6 got the highest budget ever for a round of funding, which reached a total of £1.5 billion after the Labor government announced a £500 million increase on July 30.
