Secretary of State’s Positive Determination of the Cottam Solar Project: Lincolnshire / Nottinghamshire solar scheme gets the go-ahead

Following planning, EIA and environmental expertise supplied by Lanpro, Island Green Power’s Cottam Solar Project has received the go-ahead from Secretary of State Ed Milliband.

The Cottam Solar Project will provide solar and energy storage in several land parcels in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, approximately 6.5km to the south east and up to 4km northeast of Gainsborough in the local authority of West Lindsey District Council.

This Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) will provide three electricity generating stations, each with anticipated capacity in excess of 50MW, comprising ground mounted solar arrays, with associated development comprising energy storage, grid connection infrastructure and other infrastructure integral to the construction, operation, and maintenance of the NSIPs.

On completion the project is set to:

• Supply up to 600 MW of clean electricity to the National Grid. For context, that’s equivalent to the energy needed to power around 144,000 homes and replace around 30% of the capacity of the coal powered Cottam Power Station.
• Support regional and national targets for reducing carbon emissions to net zero by 2050
• Improve energy resilience by diversifying energy production and storing energy for when it is needed most
• Contribute towards strategic improvements to local ecology and biodiversity
• Deliver affordable energy, as the electricity generated from solar is already cheaper than electricity generated from fossil fuels and the project would be subsidy free without taxpayer funding

Tara Chopra, Technical Director (EIA and Major Infrastructure) at Lanpro commented, “We are delighted with the Secretary of State’s decision today, which is the culmination of three years’ work by Lanpro on behalf of Island Green Power.

“Thanks to this decision, the scheme will provide affordable, clean power to hundreds of thousands of homes in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.  In doing so, it has a significant role to play in meeting the country’s Net Zero target.

“Furthermore, it’s an encouraging indication of the new government’s commitment to renewable energy which we hope will result in other positive resolutions on behalf of our clients in the renewables sector.”

In preparing the planning application for Cottam, Lanpro worked alongside Pinsent Masons (legal advisor), Dalcour Maclaren (land referencing) and Counter Context (communications).