The planning inspection has accepted two PV factories on solar energy on Utility scale for research: German energy company RWEs 320 MW Peartree Hill Solar Farm in the East Riding of Yorkshire and PS Renewables and Ørsted’s 740mw in the Earthhamshire.
Because of their generation capacity, both are considered nationally important infrastructure projects (NSIPs), which means that they have to look for a development assignment (DCO) before they start construction. After the factories have been investigated, the planning inspection will recommend to approve or reject the development, whereby the State Secretary has the final say.
Permtree Hill, with a co-Gelocalized battery energy storage system (BESS), will be developed in Beverley, a market city and a civil parish about eight miles northwest of Hull.
The proposed development will create a grid connection via underground cables to the Creyke Beck substation, which means that the electricity is transferred to the National Electricity Network.
RWE is also planning to set up a community benefit fund, with £ 4.2 million assigned in the 40-year lifespan of the project. This will be used to support local causes and initiatives.
The German power producer concluded his legal consultation in August 2024. Mike Greslow, project manager for Peartree Hill Solar Farm, emphasized that the team had made various adjustments to the site after feedback.
“We have listened to feedback carefully and made important improvements, including the removal of land surface A, changing access routes and adding more tolerant paths for walkers and horse riders,” said Greslow.
“We are now looking forward to the next phase of the process and will continue to work closely with the local community if our application does research.”
Plans for the progress of one earth solar farm
PS Renewables and Ørsted’s One Earth Solar Farm could be one of the largest solar PV energy plants in the UK if it is granted a DCO.
The project is a step closer to reality, in which the developers have confirmed that the planning inspection has assessed the application and has now accepted it for research. The project is now discussing the ‘pre-examination phase’ in preparation for upcoming public exams.
According to the official website of the project, the Solar PV factory will integrate Co-Loked Battery Energy Storage, although the capacity of this has not been announced.
Ørsted takes in phased ownership of the project with the achievement of important milestones. PS Renewables, a construction engineering company and Ørsted focus on a commercial operating date for the One Earth Solar Farm before 2030.
Randall Linfoot, program manager for Ørsted, outlined his joy about the project that was accepted for research, while emphasizing the importance of timely planning decisions for large -scale generators for renewable energy.
“Projects such as these will make an important contribution to the energy security of the UK, in addition to bringing investments, cheap electricity for consumers and helping achieving global climate goals and net zero goals,” Linfoot added.
