Cleve Hill Solar Park – the pioneering solar and energy storage scheme which aims to be amongst the lowest cost generators of electricity in the UK and will not require government subsidies, submitted a Development Consent Order (DCO) on the 16th November 2018 for determination by the Secretary of State for BEIS. Having initiated the first bird survey four years ago in 2014 the submission is a significant milestone, marking the commitment and passion from the team for this ground-breaking project. Extensive pre-application consultations, rigorous environmental studies and engagement with nature conservation bodies have all shaped the application.
Cleve Hill Solar Park will be the UK’s first solar scheme to be classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) due to its anticipated generation capacity being over 50MW. This landmark proposal located on the north Kent coast will aid a low carbon economy and support the UK target of reducing our carbon emissions by 80%. Cleve Hill Solar Park will power over 91,000 homes with clean, affordable electricity along with preventing the emissions of over 2.2 million tonnes of CO2. The project also includes energy storage provision, which is a fundamental part of the Government’s Clean Growth Plan; Cleve Hill’s energy storage will enable renewable energy to be delivered to homes at times of high demand on the network.
The pre-application consultations have been invaluable in shaping the submitted application – the project includes biodiversity improvements and effective environmental management of the land. Cleve Hill Solar Park proposals have been revised to remove 28.5 hectares (70 acres) of solar panels in response to local feedback. Included on site is also a habitat management area of 56 hectares (138 acres) for migratory birds. To address visual impact, the plans now include 3.5km of hedgerow planting as well as lowland meadow for invertebrates and pollinators, specifically bees. Modifications to the project have been in direct response to feedback from stakeholders across the community and key environmental stakeholders such as Natural England and the Environment Agency.
Simon McCarthy, Cleve Hill Project Director for WIRSOL Energy stated, “Rather than construct a solar park in accordance with an existing planning consent, the DCO process has been an incredible opportunity for Wirsol to design a scheme in response to a comprehensive consultation process. Wirsol, our partners at Hive and the wider team have actively engaged with all stakeholders to inform the submitted application. Wirsol have recently commissioned the largest solar / storage site in Australia – Cleve Hill could also deliver huge carbon emission savings, directly endorsed by the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015.”
Hugh Brennan, Managing Director of Hive Energy says, “Hive Energy hugely enjoyed and valued working with Wirsol on this landmark project. Throughout the process Simon and his colleagues guided matters expertly, and Hive are proud to have partnered with Wirsol on this development – the UK’s first solar and storage Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project. It is without doubt that this is an unprecedented project which is exactly why we have endeavoured to absorb and amend the designs to create what we believe will be a project of enhancement on multiple levels – sustainability, biodiversity, and carbon emission commitments, as legislated by governments across the world”.
A final decision is not expected to be made by the Secretary of State until 2019-2020. For more information about the proposals and details of the consultation events can be found on the project website: clevehillsolar.com
