Spanish PV developer, OPDE has received planning permission for a 10.8MW solar farm in Somerset.

The solar farm, located close to the town of Crewkerne, is expected to start construction in November with the company confident that the project can be connected by March 2015 in order to beat government proposals to scrap support under the renewable obligation (RO) for solar farms larger than 5MW from April 2015.

The developer states that the 10.8MW solar farm forms part of a 200MW UK pipeline. OPDE claims that it is currently on track to connect 100MW of capacity to the grid by March 2015 before the proposed closure of the RO for larger solar projects.  

In addition to the 10.8MW plant, OPDE expects construction work to start imminently on two more solar farms, a 7MW solar farm in Kent and a 9MW project in East Sussex.