A solar farm with a capacity up to 50MW is being planned for Anglesey under the area’s Energy Island plans.
A scoping and screening opinion has been submitted to Anglesey Council by ERW Consulting on behalf of renewable energy developers Countryside Renewables ahead of a full planning application expected later this year.
The documents note a prospective solar farm of between 40 and 50MW to be developed on land near Llanbadrig to the north of Anglesey opposite Cemaes Bay.
The plans fall under Angelsey’s ‘Energy Island’ programme, a collaboration between public and private stakeholders which is aimed at contributing £12 billion to north Wales’ economy over the next 15 years.
The programme, managed by Anglesey County Council’s economic development unit, intends to bring nuclear, wind, tidal, biomass and solar technologies together with a large number of projects having already been proposed.
As of late last year a 10MW tidal array had been proposed by Siemens subsidiary Marine Current Turbines and Lateral Power had detailed plans to construct a 299MW biomass facility on Holy Island.
Anglesey’s existing Wylfa nuclear power plant is to be switched off in December this year, however a new nuclear facility is to be constructed by Horizon Nuclear Power with work starting in 2018 ahead of generation commencing in the mid-2020s.
Countryside Renewables has a history of developing renewable energy projects however the majority of its large-scale experience is in offshore wind, the most notable of which being its involvement in the Thanet Offshore Wind Farm.