Ørsted enters into its first UK solar project
Ørsted has entered its first solar project in the UK. One Earth Solar Farm is a proposed 740 MW solar farm with associated battery storage, that will primarily be located in Nottinghamshire near the border of Lincolnshire and is being co-developed with PS Renewables.
Once operational, the 740 MW solar farm will generate enough clean, renewable electricity to power up to 200,000 homes, making it one of the largest solar farms in the country. Subject to local and stakeholder consultation as part of the process for nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIP), a development consent order (DCO) submission is planned for 2025.
PS Renewables and Ørsted are targeting a commercial operation date for the One Earth Solar Farm before 2030. Solar energy is crucial to diversifying and balancing energy generation and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. The UK government has set a clear target to increase solar capacity by nearly fivefold to 70 GW by 2035 as part of wider plans to power the country with cleaner, cheaper and more secure energy sources.
Kieran White, senior vice president of Onshore, Europe at Ørsted, said:
“With a strong Irish onshore portfolio already in place, we are delighted to begin our journey in the UK solar market with PS Renewables, who have been successfully delivering large-scale solar projects for more than a decade.”
Duncan Clark, senior vice president and head of UK and Ireland at Ørsted, said:
“Ørsted is committed to investing in a variety of renewable energy sources to ensure reliability and independence of supply. We welcome the UK government’s ambition to install 70 GW of solar capacity by 2035 and look forward to working with the government’s new Solar Taskforce and stakeholders from across the industry to maximise the benefits that solar energy offers to the nation.”
Matt Hazell, co-owner of PS Renewables, said:
“The One Earth Solar Farm stands to make an important contribution to the national decarbonisation effort. Our expertise in solar energy and Ørsted’s renewables track record make this a compelling project.”
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