Major setback for UK’s huge £600m solar farm that will be Europe’s biggest | UK | News
Major setback for UK’s huge £600m solar farm that will be Europe’s biggest | UK | News
A decision on whether to proceed with what would be Europe’s largest solar farm has been delayed for a fourth time.
The Government has bumped the deadline for making a decision on the 2,500 acre energy-generating hub until June 20.
The site is proposed to be constructed on the Suffolk-Cambridgeshire border and would cost about £600million.
The facility would run for 40 years and generate thousands of jobs.
However, West Suffolk MP and disgraced former health secretary Matt Hancock has called for the project to be scrapped, according to the BBC.
He said: “It’s time to put a stop to Sunnica once and for all.”
“I am a strong supporter of solar energy but the Sunnica development is dangerous and in the wrong place.
“It needs to be rejected and the developers need to think again.”
A decision on the solar farm was due to be made in September 2023, however that was knocked back to December, before being moved again to March 2024.
The latest delay is the fourth such setback for the project.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has not publicly explained the reason for the decision postponement.
Sunnica claims that the land the site would be built on would be decontaminated and returned to its original agricultural state once the scheme is finished.
The firm said the solar farm would generate energy for 172,000 homes and create 1,500 jobs during its construction. Upon completion there would be 27 full-time roles supported by the farm.
However, East Cambridgeshire District Council and Suffolk County Council have both opposed the proposals.
The solar farm was initially going to split across four sites, but reworked plans mean it is now three sites connected by underground cables. Those three sites in turn would be connected to the National Grid at Burwell substation.
The sites are:
- Sunnica East Site A, near West Row and Mildenhall in Suffolk
- Sunnica East Site B, south of the village of Worlington, near Mildenhall
- Sunnica West Site A, near Newmarket north of the A14 in Cambridgeshire
On April 10, the Facebook page Say No To Sunnica claimed that farmers were being exploited over the move to solar.
It said: “Farmers diversifying with solar are are [sic] being fleeced.
“At current market prices each solar-clad acre yields around £64,000 annually, they see merely about £1,000 of that.
“It’s clear—the farmer’s land is a goldmine for others, leaving them with crumbs from the table.”
A spokesperson for Sunnica said: « The UK needs to double the amount of renewable energy it generates by 2050.
« Sunnica would make a significant contribution to this goal. »
Cet article est apparu en premier en ANGLAIS sur https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1887182/sunnica-solar-farm-delay