Cottam Solar Project, being developed by Island Green Power, which has delivered 14 solar projects in the UK and Ireland, has been awarded a development consent order (DCO) by secretary of state for energy security and net zero Ed Miliband.
The 600MW development will comprise four ground mounted solar PV generating stations in West Lindsay, Lincolnshire, four onsite substations and a battery energy storage system (BESS). The development will cover four separate sites across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, totalling an area of 1,270 hectares.
The Cottam site plan. Source: Island Green Power.
The DCO application was submitted in January 2023 and an examination held between September 2023 and March 2024. Due to the size of the development, it is classed as a nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP).
According to Miliband’s decision letter, the public benefits of the development outweigh any harm caused, in accordance with the Planning Inspectorate. It gave “little negative weight” to the loss of agricultural land—an oft-used reason for refusal.
It will use the connection that formerly served Cottam coal-fired power station. The last remaining coal-fired power station, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, is set to close at the end of the month having received its final shipment of coal at the beginning of July.
Bob Psaradellis, CEO of Island Green Power, said in a LinkedIn post: “We are delighted to receive planning consent for Cottam, which demonstrates our commitment to delivering clean, reliable, and sustainable energy by working in partnership with communities, local authorities, and key stakeholders.
“The project will play a vital role in supporting the UK’s transition to a low carbon economy, generating enough clean, renewable, and secure energy to power 180,000 households annually.”
Cottam Solar Project will create permanent grassland, new trees, hedgerows, and ecological buffer zones, with a biodiversity net gain of 77% for habitat units and 56% for hedgerow units.
A total of seven NSIPs with a combined capacity of just under 2,900MW have now secured consent. This includes the three NSIPs granted DCOs shortly after the general election. A total of 24 other NSIP solar farms are in the pre-application stage, with three under examination and decisions on another two—Ecotricity’s Heckington Fen and Island Green Power’s West Burton project—expected in the coming weeks.
“Today’s announcement is another step in the right direction towards a sustainably-powered solar nation, offering a more secure and affordable energy system. It is also another welcome confirmation of the new government’s support for the solar sector, in anticipation of the forthcoming Solar Roadmap, which will set the country on the path to reaching 50 gigawatts of solar capacity by 2030,” said Stephen Wilding, director of business development at Solar Energy UK.
The recently announced result of the sixth auction round (AR6) of the government’s Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme saw the capacity awarded to solar break previous records. It also awarded the first solar NSIP a CfD: EDF Renewables’ Longfield solar farm.
On 5 September, EDF Renewables opened a second round of consultation on a utility-scale PV project to be developed in Buckinghamshire. Although the utility company has not specified the capacity of the proposed development, it is classed as an NSIP.
The company did tell Solar Power Portal that it has a grid connection agreement with National Grid at the East Claydon Substation that would allow it to export up to 500MW of electricity to the grid. There would also be capacity to import power from the network.
