Plans are underway for a new solar farm that is estimated to power nearly 26,000 homes per year and create 375 jobs.
Proposals have been submitted to Hartlepool Borough Council’s Planning Department to carry out the works on 193 acres of agricultural land at High Barns Farm, which lies either side of Coal Lane near the village of Elwick.
Enviromena Project Management UK’s application calls for the construction and operation of a 49.9 MW grid-connected photovoltaic solar farm and a 25 MW battery energy storage system.
The project is designed to run for a limited period of 40 years and is intended to provide “a reliable source of clean, renewable energy for the national grid”.
A planning statement supporting the project states that it would supply around 25,915 households with electricity each year and save 14,500 tonnes of CO2 annually compared to fossil fuels.
In addition, this would “secure around 375 full-time jobs along the entire supply chain.”
The planning documents continue: “There is a significant and urgent need for renewable energy projects to support the UK’s transition to a low-carbon, smart energy system.”
“The Government sees solar energy as a key building block in achieving net zero emissions and will meet a significant proportion of the UK’s energy needs in the future.
“Overall, the proposed development represents a sustainable development and will contribute to achieving the UK’s decarbonisation targets and deliver significant environmental, social and economic benefits.”
The proposals state that the application is for a limited period of 40 years and that “at the end of its useful life, all infrastructure will be removed and the land will be returned to its current state”.
A decision on the proposals is expected in November.
