The United Kingdom’s largest solar farm, the 350 MW Cleve Hill Solar Park in Kent was given the go ahead by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy(BEIS), Alok Sharma. Cleve Hill Solar Park is located on the north Kent coast which is one mile from Faversham and less than 60 miles from central London. The project, located on Graveney Marshes on the North Kent coast in Southeast England, has been opposed by the Kent Wildlife Trust and the Campaign to Protect Rural England, which they fear the 890-acre, close to 900,000-panel project will threaten local wildlife.
JV between Hive and Wirsol
The joint venture has promised plenty of renewable energy that will power over 91,000 homes which is an equivalent to 246GWh/year(Giga Watt hours per year) using Ofgem‘s Typical Domestic Consumption Values (TDCVs). The developers declared that this scheme would “reduce the UK’s dependence on fossil fuels and lower CO2 emissions by 68,000 tonnes a year” which is an impressive feat in the switch to clean and greener energy.
UK govt aims to remove non renewable energy sources by 2050
The UK govt is targeting a net zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050 and is aiming to remove coal from Britain’s energy system by the year 2025. In a recent announcement, they planned to move this deadline to October 1, 2024.
Giles Redpath, CEO of Hive Energy, welcomed the decision, stating:
“Solar energy is unique. It has the power to transform the world.”
“Since 2017, we have worked alongside stakeholders and the community to listen to their feedback and to design a solar park that benefits the local environment whilst delivering a significant amount of renewable, affordable and secure energy generation.
“We are proud to lead the way, together with our partners at Wirsol, to deliver the UKs largest solar park. Due to be operational by 2022, the Cleve Hill Solar Park offers a real solution to our urgent climate needs and showcases the potential for the UK to lead the green recovery.”
Hugh Brennan of Hive Energy says:
“This is a solar park that responds to the need to deliver more clean, renewable energy technology in a way that is smart and sustainable.”
From the start the project team have consulted continuously with local stakeholders and we would like to express our gratitude for the collaborative efforts of the local authorities, stakeholders and the community who have provided their feedback to help shape the design of the solar park. Our work doesn’t stop here, and we will continue our dialogue with these stakeholders to ensure the safe and responsible delivery of the scheme. – Hugh Brennan, Hive Energy
The Solar Trade Associations chief executive Chris Hewett said:
“Today the Government has shown that it recognises the vital contribution solar can make to Britain’s energy mix. This is a major milestone on the road towards a UK powered by clean, affordable renewables.”
“Solar has a significant role to play in boosting the economy in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. With the right policies we can expect to see an 8GW pipeline of solar projects unlocked and rapidly deployed, swiftly creating a wealth of skilled jobs and setting us on the path towards a green recovery.”
The £450 million Cleve Hill Solar Park has promised permanent direct and indirect jobs. The developer has charted an ‘Outline Skills, Supply Chain and Employment Plan’ for helping secure local economic benefits from the solar park. The project will offer jobs such as site management staff and contract opportunities and will enable a transfer of sector-based knowledge and skills and boost the local supply chain.
The solar farm will bring in environmental mitigation practices, and create a dedicated Habitat Management Area of 138 acres. This is proposed for bird species including Lapwing, Brent Goose, Golden Plover and Marsh Harrier.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si8MwGhFkYo
Green energy is the future. Many countries are coming up with greener solutions and to ward off the usage of crude oil and other polluting, non renewable sources of energy. In a previous post, we discussed how a California company is making use of green hydrogen(obtained from waste products). We are going to see many more green energy sources in the future. This shows that the future is both bright and exciting. Clean and green energy is what we all need to protect the earth, and reduce CO2 emissions from vehicles that use internal combustion engines. The faster we make the switch to green energy, the better chance we have at saving our planet.
