The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has announced it will delay the planning decision for a major proposed solar farm until 2025.
The Heckington Fen Solar Park is a proposed 500 MW development by Ecotricity. In August, the developers requested an extension of the statutory deadline for providing information to DESNZ, stating it needed more time to negotiate with the landowners over the site, the Crown Estate and the Duchy of Lancaster. DESNZ granted an extension until September 27, but on September 11 the developers again requested an extension until January 6, 2025.
As a result, Secretary of State for Energy Ed Miliband has now granted the developers an extension until January 24, 2025, a decision the department said was made “reluctantly”. Ecotricity, the Crown Estate and the Duchy of Lancaster must now provide evidence that an agreement was reached between the parties within the specified timeframe.
In announcing this decision, DESNZ stressed that this does not indicate the project is more likely to be approved or refused. might be or what final conclusions the Secretary of State might draw on a particular issue relevant to the assessment of the application.
The Heckington Fen Solar Farm, located near the village of Heckington in North Kesteven, Lincolnshire, will combine 500 MW of solar generation capacity with a co-located battery energy storage system (BESS) of approximately 200-400 MW. The proposed design plans to use double-sided solar panels to harvest as much sunlight as possible. As Lincolnshire is one of the sunniest locations in the country, the site could avoid as much as 75,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions every year.
The site has an expected lifespan of 40 years, after which it will be converted back into pasture. The proposed layout includes planting native hedgerows and wildflowers to encourage the presence of bees and other pollinators in the area.
