International energy major TotalEnergies has revealed plans for a proposed solar PV power plant with a co-located battery energy storage system (BESS) near Birmingham Airport.
The proposed Castle Hills Solar Farm will have a solar generation capacity of 49.9MW, with a 5MW onsite BESS. Plans for the site include the installation of fixed-tilt solar PV units and biodiversity enhancements, including planting native hedgerows and vegetation to screen the site from view when seen from nearby heritage sites. Planning permission is being sought for a 40-year period, after which time the site will be returned to its former state.
An unnamed spokesperson for TotalEnergies called the proposed plans “a significant step in the West Midlands’ journey towards a low-carbon future”. The spokesperson added that the company is “proud to be advancing one of Britain’s most ambitious solar projects”, noting that the proposal “combines sustainable energy generation with long-term environmental and community benefits”.
A public consultation on the proposals has been launched, with members of the public invited to share feedback online until July 7th or attend an in-person consultation event in Solihull on 1 July.
TotalEnergies states that it is currently in discussions with nearby Birmingham Airport to explore how the solar PV power plant could support growth in the area, including through a potential power purchase agreement (PPA) which would see the airport offtake solar energy from the site.
At the start of this year, London Stansted Airport announced that it had appointed EDF Renewables to build and operate a new 14.3MW solar PV power plant on land located immediately to the east of London’s third busiest airport; construction work on the site is set to begin imminently.
November of 2024 saw Farnborough Airport in Hampshire complete a £2 million rooftop solar PV installation in collaboration with solar installer Solivus. The development, which has an installed capacity of 1,700kWp, is capable of supplying up to 25% of the airport’s annual electricity needs and will be used primarily to support the airport’s growing fleet of EVs. Last November also marked the approval of a 1,132KWp solar installation on the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) site in Prestwick, Scotland, which will be made up of a total of 2,200 individual panels.
Earlier in June, TotalEnergies announced it had acquired an eight-project solar pipeline totalling 350MW from renewable energy developer Low Carbon, two of which were co-located with BESS projects with a combined capacity of 85MW.
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