Cottam Solar Project, developed by Island Green Power, which has delivered 14 solar projects across Britain and Ireland, has been granted a Development Consent Order (DCO) by Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband.
The 600MW development will include four ground-mounted solar PV generating stations in West Lindsay, Lincolnshire, four on-site substations and a battery energy storage system (BESS). The development will cover four separate sites across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, totaling 1,270 hectares.
The DCO application was submitted in January 2023 and the investigation took place between September 2023 and March 2024. Due to the scale of the development, it is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP).
According to Miliband’s decision letter, the public benefits of the development outweigh the damage caused, in accordance with the Planning Inspectorate. It gave “little negative weight” to the loss of agricultural land – a commonly used reason for refusal.
It will use the link that previously served the Cottam coal-fired power station. The last remaining coal-fired power station, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, is expected to close at the end of the month after receiving its last shipment of coal in early July.
Bob Psaradellis, CEO of Island Green Power, said in a LinkedIn post: “We are delighted to receive planning permission for Cottam, demonstrating our commitment to delivering clean, reliable and sustainable energy by working with communities , local authorities and key stakeholders.
“The project will play a crucial role in supporting the UK’s transition to a low-carbon economy, generating enough clean, renewable and safe energy to power 180,000 homes every year.”
The Cottam Solar Project will create permanent grassland, new trees, hedgerows and ecological buffer zones, with a net biodiversity gain of 77% for habitat units and 56% for hedgerow units.
A total of seven NSIPs with a combined capacity of just under 2,900 MW have now been approved. This includes the three NSIPs that were granted DCOs soon after the general elections. A total of 24 other NSIP solar farms are in the pre-application phase, with three under investigation and decisions on a further two expected in the coming weeks: Ecotricity’s Heckington Fen project and Island’s West Burton project GreenPower.
“Today’s announcement is another step in the right direction towards a sustainable energy country, offering a safer and more affordable energy system. It is also another welcome confirmation of the new government’s support for the solar sector, ahead of the upcoming Solar Roadmap, which will put the country on track to achieving 50 gigawatts of solar power by 2030,” said Stephen Wilding, business director. development at Solar Energy UK.
The recently announced outcome of the sixth auction round (AR6) of the government’s Contracts for Difference (CfD) program saw capacity allocated to solar break previous records. It has also awarded a CfD to the first solar NSIP: EDF Renewables’ Longfield solar farm.
On September 5, EDF Renewables opened a second round of consultation on a utility-scale PV project to be developed in Buckinghamshire. Although the utility has not specified the capacity of the proposed development, it is classified as an NSIP.
The company did tell Solar Power Portal that it has a grid connection agreement with National Grid at the East Claydon Substation, allowing it to export up to 500MW of electricity to the grid. There would also be capacity to import power from the network.
