EcoPower Suffolk will deliver a solar farm and BESS (Battery Energy Storage System) with an anticipated capacity of around 250 megawatts (MW).
This includes the construction, operation and decommissioning of a solar PV electricity generating facility with associated infrastructure including co-located BESS. The main sites comprising the energy farm will be connected by underground cables, with the project also including a grid connection that will run via underground cable to the point of connection at the Yaxley 400kV National Grid substation.
We are in the early stages of developing this new Project situated on 600 hectares of land located near the National Grid Yaxley 400kV Substation, with main development areas situated within a 5-mile radius of the substation. The area closest to the substation is likely to include the BESS and associated infrastructure, meaning that additional energy generated can be stored and released when needed. Our project would generate clean, renewable electricity to power approximately 75,000 homes for forty years.
The design of our project will be informed by existing and ongoing environmental surveys, site assessments and public consultation.
As a result, we have not defined the exact proposed use of each land parcel under consideration. The surveys and technical assessments will help us identify areas within the energy farm that will be used for environmental enhancement, solar development, battery siting and cabling. We want to work together with the local community to develop areas within the energy farm that deliver on local environmental initiatives and ambitions.
Due to the size of the potential energy capacity proposed for EcoPower Suffolk, the Project is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP). The planning permission to construct, operate and decommission the Project requires EcoPower Suffolk to submit a Development Consent Order (DCO) application.
Once submitted, the EcoPower Suffolk DCO application will be examined by the Planning Inspectorate, the independent body responsible for examining NSIPs. They in turn would make a recommendation on the DCO application to the Secretary of State for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). The Secretary of State will then make the final decision on the DCO application.
EcoPower Suffolk will:
Reduce carbon emissions and contribute to Net Zero, Clean Power 2030 and national energy security
Be a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) which would generate enough clean, renewable energy to power 75,000 homes per year
Commit to a range of wildlife enhancements to ensure biodiversity net gain for key species and habitats
Be shaped by engagement with local communities
Support the local community via a community benefit fund
Why is EcoPower Suffolk needed?
The way we consume energy is already changing. The move towards renewables and the transition away from fossil fuels is an environmental and economic necessity.
To meet the government’s net-zero and climate change targets as set out in Make Britain a clean energy superpower (2024), it is essential to boost the UK’s solar energy generation. We need to get large amounts of renewable technology generated electricity in the system to provide a consistent supply of clean, renewable energy that will contribute towards our energy security and combat climate change.
This is why EcoPower Suffolk is so important. If approved, it has the potential to generate clean, renewable electricity from solar to power around 75,000 homes. The battery energy storage system will store surplus energy and deploy it to the national grid as it is needed. The batteries charge at off peak times and supply electricity to the distribution network at times of peak energy demand. The electricity storage provided by projects like EcoPower Suffolk help reduce the costs of the electricity system and increase system reliability by storing the energy generated by renewable sources.
Timeline
Map
ECOPOWER SUFFOLK
Renewable energy infrastructure is not being proposed to be developed across the full extent of the shaded red land parcels in the above map. As our consultation feedback develops, we will use this, alongside our technical assessments, to shape our detailed design proposals. The land parcels currently under consideration would include planting areas for visual screening, buffer distances from sensitive receptors and areas for ecological enhancement, amongst other mitigation measures.
Key:
- Land south of Stuston
- Land north of Eye
- Land north of Gislingham
- Land north of Occold
- Land south of Thrandeston and north of Mellis
POC. Point of Connection at Yaxley 400kV National Grid Substation
Environmental survey and technical assessment work is being undertaken to identify areas within the energy farm that will be proposed for renewable energy infrastructure and areas that will be used for environmental mitigations and enhancements where practicable. The Project will be arranged within the existing field boundaries and the planting of trees and hedgerows will strengthen natural boundaries to provide habitats for local wildlife.
Access to existing public rights of way will be maintained. Feedback received during consultation will help identify the opportunity for mitigation and enhancements for public rights of way where practicable. This will help ensure that communities can continue to access and enjoy the local environment and its amenities.
Our appointed ecology team is currently carrying out comprehensive habitat and species surveys to identify any potential biodiversity impacts of the Project. These surveys include, but are not limited to, local ecology, birds, bats, reptiles, amphibians, and badgers.
Research has shown that ground-mounted solar projects provide major environmental benefits. They provide renewable, low-carbon energy that is good for the planet, while also directly improving local biodiversity by creating new habitats for wildlife and enabling plant life to grow around the panels over time. This compares to the impact of harvesting crops yearly on agricultural land that has low ecological value.
The Project will be designed to minimise impact on ecological features through their retention and enhancement. New planting would support a diverse range of critical invertebrate species and encourage new species to colonise the margins of the site.
There are potential further opportunities for habitat creation though the implementation of additional wildlife corridors and the installation of bat and bird nesting boxes, hibernacula, woodpiles, and beehives within the margins of the site.
As part of a cultural heritage assessment, we are undertaking archaeological surveys for the Project, which will be informed by local records and the expertise of the local Council.
This will provide the information we need to assess if there are any impacts, influence the design of the solar farm and identify an appropriate mitigation strategy if and where required.