Island Green Power has opened the second round of Community Consultation for the East Pye Solar Project, a proposed 500 MW solar PV energy plant with a co-location battery energy storage system (BESS).
The project, which is classified as a nationally important infrastructure project (NSIP) because of the capacity of solar generation, will be on land near Long Stratton in South Norfolk if a development assignment (DCO) will be granted. The proposed capacity for the on -site Bess has not yet been unveiled by island -green power.
Part of the development process for the scheme includes a new National Grid -under stationation, which is managed by National Raster Electricity transmission, in addition to working to existing 400kV overhead lines in the area and biodiversity improvements.
Island Green Power is currently considering two different options for mounting the PV panels. One option includes the use of trackers, rotating from east to west to follow the sun all day and are aligned in North-South Rijen; Or fixed panels that are aligned in Eastern rows and are confronted with a fixed angle between +10 and 35 degrees of horizontal, with a maximum height of up to 3.5 meters.
The developer has stated that it is planning to submit an application for a DCO to the planning inspection in the winter of this year. After the application has been submitted, the planning inspection has 28 days to decide whether it accepts the application for investigation; After this, the research and approval process is expected to take approximately two years.
If the planning inspection grants a DCO, the earliest construction is expected to be at the end of 2027 or early 2028, according to Island Green Power. The site will work for 60 years before a dismantling plan is determined.
Samantha Jones, Project Development Manager at Island Green Power Explained the Importance of Community Feedback in Developing Solar Proposals, Stating: “Following Our Initial Consultation and as Part of our Ongoing Commitment to Sensitive Design And Responding to People’s Feedback. Everyone who has shared their views and contributed to helping shape the scheme so far.“
She added: “Projects such as East Pye Solar are vital to enable the transition from fossil fuel to low -carbon energy, and we are committed to making a schedule that makes a meaningful contribution to both local and national energy needs.”
Island Green Power has worked on various Zonne -NSIPs in recent months. In May of this year, the developer announced that he had submitted an application for his other Solar NSIP, the Green Hill Solar Farm. The proposed 500 MW Zonne -Plus Storage Development is located near Wellingborough, Northampton; If the approval is granted, the construction will take place between 2027 and 2029 and the project will be connected to the grid in 2029.
