Our biggest ever sun park
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We’re always excited when new projects get the go-ahead, but this one pulls some weight. With the potential for nearly 1,000MW of solar and storage at Heckington Fen, this is going to be one of the biggest in Britain and could power around 200,000 homes!
Some 600MW of solar power is expected to be installed, alongside an energy storage system of up to 400MW. This will enable us to use the power 24 hours a day. The building and running of the solar park will create hundreds of new local jobs, help to reduce Britain’s reliance on imported energy and is predicted to save over 90,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year
Land of the sun
The county of Lincolnshire is one of the sunniest spots in Britain, so it’s an ideal location for generating green solar power. Of course, the sun doesn’t even need to be shining for the electricity to flow – all it takes is daylight and a field of solar panels.
The land for our sun park was approved for the use of renewable energy way back in 2013. We had permission for 22 windmills but the MOD were concerned about the possible impact on their radar systems, which meant the process dragged on for years. It was frustrating – the climate crisis means we need to take all the action we can, as soon as we can!
We eventually decided that a solar park would be better suited for the site, particularly with the development of bifacial solar panel technology, which means our panels can generate electricity from light hitting both sides of the panel.
Boom time for biodiversity
We’re committed to increasing biodiversity wherever we can in our projects. When it’s finished, Heckington Fen will be a much richer habitat for plants and local wildlife. The area around the panels will be managed for wildflowers and will incorporate habitats for birds, bees and other pollinators.
We’re planting over 8km of new hedgerows to screen the fencing, while generous setbacks to existing drainage ditches will create habitat corridors. Skylarks, water voles, dragonflies and pollinators are some of the species that will thrive at the Heckington Fen Solar Park.
Our ethical approach
We know that any big project like this will raise questions amongst those who live nearby.
From our consultations with local people, we’ve planned a community orchard on the site and a new 4km walking path that links with existing footpaths.
There are economic benefits for the area as well. Hundreds of jobs will be created and the site will give farmers an additional source of income, helping to protect their farms for the future. We’ll also be adding over £1m per year, that’s £40m over the project lifetime, to North Kesteven District Council’s bank balance through business rates. At a time when local councils are desperate for extra funding that good news for local services.
Heck Fen is a fantastic initiative. It is the right thing in the right place at the right time - as we push to get to 100% green energy in the next 5 years.
You can read more about the project here.
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