French utility EDF has received a development consent order (DCO) from the UK government to build an 800MW solar PV plant in England.
Located in Lincolnshire, the Springwell Solar project is developed by EDF’s British subsidiary EDF Power Solutions UK and UK-based developer Luminous Energy. The project will also be co-located with a battery energy storage system, however the capacity was not yet disclosed.
The project is expected to reach commercial operations in 2029.
The Springwell PV plant is currently the largest clean energy Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) to be approved by the current government, and the 14th solar NSIP. Projects with a capacity of 50MW or more are considered NSIP and their approval is overseen by the government and not the local authorities.
The UK government said the Springwell PV project’s approval marks its commitment to “learn the lessons from the conflict in the Middle East,” which has seen global oil and gas prices soar.
After initial consultations, the land to be covered by solar panels has been reduced from 816 hectares to 594. Despite that reduction, the project has still seen mass public dissent.
In part due to the number of solar PV plants in planning or approved to be constructed in Lincolnshire and the surrounding counties in the East of England, consumer buy-in for local projects is low. Developers choose the area because it has high irradiance levels and ample grid capacity, due to historical fossil power generation there.
