The month of May has seen a bumper crop of major solar projects apply for planning consent, as both Island Green Power and RES have submitted their applications for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs).
RES has submitted an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to the Planning Inspectorate regarding the Steeple Renewables Project, a proposed 600MW solar PV and battery energy storage development located at Sturton-le-Steeple in Nottinghamshire. The project will be comprised of approximately 450MW of solar generation capacity and a battery energy storage system (BESS) of around 150MW.
The site, which is located near the former West Burton Power Station, will make use of grid infrastructure and capacity remaining in the area from the now-shuttered power plant.
The submission follows multiple rounds of community consultation, following which a number of changes were made to the development plans. Most notably, after a number of concerns were raised by local residents, the land area being developed for the project has been downsized to minimise the impact on the local landscape.
The Planning Inspectorate will now decide if the application for examination will be accepted; a decision on this is expected on or before 11 June 2025. If the application for examination is accepted, the examination process will begin in the first quarter of next year and be completed by Q4 2026.
If consent is granted, RES estimates that will construction will begin in 2027 and take approximately 24 months to complete; the construction process is expected to bring up to 400 jobs to the area.
Island Green Power submits plans for Green Hill
Meanwhile, Island Green Power recently submitted an application for its own solar NSIP, the Green Hill Solar Farm. The proposed 500MW solar plus storage development is located near Wellingborough, Northampton. The project’s generation and storage capacity will be spread across nine adjacent sites, all of which will be connected to the nearby Grendon Substation.
The land being developed is 1,200 hectares and is located within the administrative boundaries of West Northamptonshire Council, North Northamptonshire Council and Milton Keynes Council.
This project is also waiting for a decision as to whether the project will be accepted for examination; this decision is expected to be published on or before 20 June 2025. If approved, examination is expected to begin in the third quarter of this year and end in Q1 2026. Following this, the Planning Inspectorate will make a recommendation in the second quarter of 2026, with the secretary of state for energy expected to make his final decision in the final quarter of next year.
If approval is granted, construction will take place between 2027 and 2029, and the project will be connected to the grid in 2029. Planning permission is being sought for a 40-year period, after which the site will be decommissioned and returned to its original state.
