EDF plots co-located wind, solar and battery ‘energy park’

EDF Renewables UK has unveiled plans for a 100MW-capacity renewable energy project in Wales, comprising seven wind turbines, a solar farm and battery storage.

Hirfynydd Renewable Energy Park in Neath Port Talbot would provide enough power for 40,000 households as well as storing surplus energy to provide grid balancing services.

The company stressed that having a breadth of technologies would allow the park to generate in a variety of weather conditions. It also plans to erect a meteorological mast – to collect wind speed data.

EDF hopes to submit a planning application, which will ultimately be decided by the Welsh government, towards the end of 2023. In the meantime, early ecological and other feasibility studies will be carried out.

Simon Morgan, principal project development manager at EDF, said: “Hirfynydd would make a positive contribution to our efforts to tackle climate change and at a time of global uncertainty over energy supply and costs, renewable energy projects are vital to dealing with these challenges. We are pleased to be developing Hirfynydd in partnership with three local farming families and we will work with the community to ensure that the project can deliver local benefits, such as a community fund and local ownership.”

Community energy project seeks to crowdfund £1.2m

Meanwhile, not-for-profit community energy group Sharenergy has launched a share offer with the aim of building three rooftop solar projects in the Midlands, that would generate 100MW by 2030.

Under the new banner of the Big Solar Co-Op, the group aims to raise £1.2 million. The share offer opened to pre-registered investors on 24 June and has already attracted over £250,000 in investment. It will close in three months or as soon as the full target is reached.

The first three rooftop installations will be 300 kilowatt peak (kWp) on a food-processing plant in Tenbury Wells; 120 kWp on a farm machinery manufacturer in Ludlow; and 30 kWp on a doctors’ surgery in Birmingham, to include electric vehicle charging powered by the solar array.

A “substantial pipeline” of other large rooftop sites across the UK is also under development, thr group said.

Jon Hallé, co-founder, Big Solar Co-op, said: “Our starting point is, how do we get solar on more large rooftops in the UK? There are hundreds of thousands of potentially suitable buildings which still do not have solar PV. We calculate that these could contribute at least 5 GW of solar capacity.

“We’ve come up with an offer which is much more appealing to big energy users than commercial rent-a-roof schemes. Our terms are more flexible and as a carbon-first organisation we are not taking big profits out so the savings to host sites are significant.

“We also have a great offer for volunteers who want to make more solar happen in their neighbourhood. By operating across the UK and providing support through a broad network we can make it happen together and make a difference to climate change.”