Low Carbon UK gets nod for 500 MW solar + storage project in England

Renewable energy investor Low Carbon announced the company has received development consent for solar + storage project in England.

The British Department for Energy Security and Net Zero cleared the proposal for the Gate Burton Energy Park, a 500 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) complex with an attached battery energy storage facility in Lincolnshire county, UK-based Low Carbon revealed.

The park will come up near the village of Gate Burton, and will connect to the power transmission system at the UK National Grid's Cottam substation in Nottinghamshire, the company said.

Building work is likely to start in early 2025, and upon commissioning, the solar farm is expected to generate sufficient energy to meet the demands of more than 160,000 homes and eliminate more than 100,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions every year.

Mike Rutgers, managing director of UK development at Low Carbon, said in a statement: "We are delighted that the new Secretary of State has granted consent on the Gate Burton Energy Park, allowing us to progress to the construction phase of the project and reaffirming our position as the market leader for UK solar. As Gate Burton progresses, we look forward to continuing to engage closely with local residents, business owners and other key stakeholders to ensure we deliver this project responsibly."

The UK is betting big on renewable energy sources, especially offshore wind, and aims to reach net zero by 2050. In its recently-published energy strategy, the government has said it would increase the island-nation's solar capacity five-fold to around 70 GW by 2035.