The Romney Marsh could be the site of one of the biggest solar farms to be built in the UK. Energy firm Low Carbon has revealed plans for a 500 megawatt (MW) facility at Old Romney – almost ten times the output from the nearby Little Cheyne Court wind farm – and producing enough energy to power 140,000 homes.
The facility – called South Kent Energy Park – could be built on either side of the A259 near the village.
Plans are yet to be submitted but Low Carbon says the site, the equivalent of 840 football pitches, will be connected to the National Grid either via an existing substation in Dungeness or a new substation proposed to be built nearby.
David Browne, of Canterbury-based solar firm Convert Energy, says he thinks “it could take some time” for the new scheme to be approved. “The positioning of this park makes a lot of sense. A huge part of the development costs of a solar park is in the grid connection and upgrade works. The existing infrastructure should be capable of handling the output of the solar park.”
“The key for Low Carbon will be getting the local community onside with the project,” Mr Browne added. The company is taking comments on its proposal online until December 20, and is hosting in-person events for residents to attend at Ivychurch Village Hall on Tuesday, November 26, and in New Romney Scout Hall on Wednesday, November 27. An online event will also be held on Thursday, December 12, from 6.30pm to 8pm.
A battery energy storage facility (BESS) is also proposed in the project, which will allow the power to be held and deployed when needed.
Cllr Paul Thomas (Ind), who represents the area on Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC), said: “I want to see a bit more detail because it says in the outline as well as a solar farm they want to put in a battery system. What impact is it going to have on agriculture and agricultural jobs across the Marsh?”
Plans for any solar farm of 50MW or more do not go through the local council for permission – they are treated as nationally significant infrastructure projects. Instead, massive solar facilities need to get a development consent order from the government, after a long permission process.
Shortly after being elected, energy secretary Ed Miliband MP approved several huge solar projects around the country – two of 500MW, and one of 350MW.
James Hartley-Bond, project development director at Low Carbon, says the scheme “will play a crucial role in support of the UK’s decarbonisation targets. We look forward to engaging with the community and providing the opportunity for those who live and work closest to the project to learn more about Low Carbon’s emerging proposals.”
Image Credits: Google , Convert energy , Low Carbon .
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for green energy and understand that it involves a bit of an eyesore. After all we all want to come home and switch on the electric kettle.
BUT, to cover a vast area of ‘grade one’ agricultural land is a huge shame.
The Romney Marsh is probably one of the last areas of the country that can be used for food production without too much input. It is known as boy’s land compared to us poorer farmers on man’s land north of Rye. The only thing we can grow up here is grass and stress.
If they want to find some where to fit solar panels rent the roofs of all those millions of houses that they are planning to cover our land with. At least they will not have to put up any more pylons to get it to where its needed.