Largest Solar Farm in U.K. Goes Live

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) - The U.K.'s largest solar photovoltaic (PV) project has been connected to the grid and commissioned near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, England.

The 34-megawatt (MW) solar farm, located at the abandoned World War II Wymeswold Airfield, was developed by Lark Energy (Market Deeping, Lincolnshire) and the landowner Prestwold Estates, and was funded by owners, Hazel Capital. The farm has 130,000 solar panels laid out on land between the old runways, covering an area of approximately 150 acres. The farm took just eight weeks to develop and was commissioned just before changes to the U.K. government's feed-in-tariff (FiT) for solar projects. The project cost €41.5 million ($52 million) to complete.

"As the largest solar farm in the U.K., the project has not been without its challenges, both technical and weather related," admitted Managing Director of Lark Energy, Jonathan Selwyn. "It is a testament to the teamwork of the various parties involved in its development and delivery that it was completed and connected on time. We are committed to developing a large portfolio of solar projects in the U.K. over the coming years and see a bright future for this growing industry".

The solar farm at Wymeswold Airfield will sit alongside the site's other activities ranging from agricultural use to sporting events, which include a driving track and equestrian centre.

Lark Energy has, to date, developed 60 MW of solar projects over the last two years and has plans to start construction on a further 65 MW of consented projects. The company recently finished work on a smaller 5.6 MW solar farm at Limes Farm in Bourne. It boasts around 20,000 solar panels spread across 30 acres.

Ben Guest, Managing Partner of Hazel Capital added: "We are delighted to be involved in this large, first-of-its-kind project in the U.K.. We believe that larger industrial sites make great locations for solar projects going forward in the U.K.".

The commissioning of Wymeswold Airfield arrives just weeks before the U.K. government's planned t launch of its first ever solar PV strategy. Solar power makes up a small proportion of the country's electricity mix but the government has pledged to boost the sector.

Energy and Climate Change Minister, Greg Barker, said that the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) should have the solar strategy finalised in the "coming weeks".

Addressing the recent Large Scale Solar Conference in Cornwall, Barker explained: "The Coalition Government is committed to placing solar PV at the heart of the UK's energy mix. Levels of solar PV deployment are now at a terrific 2.500 MW. We should be very proud of the progress that's been made in the solar sector. Particularly over the last two years. At times the journey has been difficult. Reforming the ill-thought through and clumsy FiTs scheme was tough for the market. But the UK is now firmly established as one of the top 10 markets for solar PV worldwide. Since January, almost 400MW of solar was deployed under the Renewables Obligation. Despite one of the worst winters on record!"

The U.K. government has stated that it wants 20,000 MW of solar PV capacity in place by the end of the decade.

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