Salford Quay. Image: Pit-yacker (Wikimedia).
Salford City Council has partnered with the Energy Systems Catapult to develop a solar farm in Little Hulton.
The agreement will help the council take a step forward in its carbon neutral goals, as well as allowing it to access advice and guidance from the not-for-profit. Additionally, the partnership allows it to access European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) grants that will address the gap in funding.
Little Hulton solar farm will be built over 3.79 hectares, with 5,094 solar panels installed over five months in 2021 at the site on Kenyon Way. Planning permission for the site was approved in June 2020.
Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said the decision to partner with the Energy Systems Catapult – which was formally made on Monday 12 October – will allow the them to continue to create “a city prepared for the future”.
“We are passionate about the environment and proactively looking at opportunities to help us achieve our long-term vision which includes to be carbon neutral by 2038.
“We take our responsibilities seriously and must do all we can to protect the planet for future generations.”
Along with the solar development, the council is building a hydroelectric scheme on the River Irwell at Charlestown Weir that will use an Archimedes screw turbine to generate electricity while incorporated fish and eel passes will allow the animals to swim further down the river. This is expected to be built during the summer of 2022, and will be operation by the end of that year.
Mayor Dennett added: “The environmental crisis is the most acute threat facing humanity in the modern world. We must take radical action to mitigate the impact of climate change and Salford City Council is leading the way.”