Major new solar farm set to be sited near Harrogate after Infrabee’s success in Government scheme

The news comes following Green energy provider Infrabee’s success in the latest round of the Government’s Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme.

Auction round six is by far the biggest ever designated by the Government with yearly subsidies of more than £1 billion available to a range of renewable technologies, including offshore wind, solar, onshore wind and tidal stream.

Costock in Nottinghamshire (66MW) and Burton Top in South Stainley, just six miles north of Harrogate (10MW), were successful in the auction process with a strike price of £50.07/MW.

The site at South Stainley will cover an area of approximately 19 hectares located within the parish of South Stainley.

Access to the site during the solar farm's operation will be from an existing farm access on Station Road.

The site is located to the south of the village of Wormald Green.

Full planning permission for the construction of a solar farm and associated infrastructure on 7.7ha of the site was permitted by Harrogate Borough Council in 2015 having been found by officers and members of the planning committee to accord with the relevant policies of the Council’s Development Plan.

In total, there are currently 25 sites planned across the UK which are either under development or ready to build, with five expected to connect over the next 18 months and the rest due to be energised over the next four years.

Infrabee will produce and supply renewable energy solutions through a series of solar and battery sites across both the UK and Europe as it looks to play a key role in the global switch to a more sustainable fuel resource.

Two of these sites – at Costock and Burton Top – have recently qualified under auction round six of the Government’s Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme which offers green energy producers long-term revenue protection.

The (CfD) scheme guarantees fixed payments for electricity generators by shielding them from fluctuating market prices, encouraging investment into renewable energy production and limiting the prospect of financial losses.

Information: https://www.infrabee.partners/