UK solar and storage company Anesco has broken ground on four solar farm projects totalling 110MW for Gresham House.
The sites represent a “significant milestone” for the partnership between the two companies, being the first to reach the construction stage.
The four UK developments are the 50MW Low Farm project in Skegness, Lincolnshire, the 20MW Beavor Grange in Devon and two further 20MW solar farms located in Derbyshire and Gloucestershire respectively.
All four sites are planned to be constructed by the end of 2023.
Each facility will benefit from an advanced biodiversity plan and significant ecological enhancements designed to support some of the UK’s most at-risk birds and wildlife, as well as native plants.
This will include the creation of wildflower meadows, planting of additional hedgerows and trees, and the installation of bird and bat boxes.
For Low Farm, these enhancements are expected to result in a biodiversity net gain of more than 130%.
All engineering, procurement and construction of the four solar farms is being handled by Anesco.
Once operational, each site will then be monitored by Anesco’s operations and maintenance team, who in combination with Anesco’s optimisation team will ensure that the portfolio of plants continue to operate at their optimal technical efficiency, whilst economically generating the greatest potential returns.
Gresham House Investment director Wayne Cranstone said: “We’re delighted to see our partnership with Anesco taking this important step forward with construction now officially underway on the first four projects.
“All four of the solar farms have been sensitively developed with strong attention to biodiversity, as well as a focus on quality construction to aid their performance and efficiency.”
The three-year, 200MW, ground-mounted solar development and construction partnership is valued in excess of £100m and will comprise sites ranging from 20MW to 50MW of generation capacity.
The agreement forms part of a long-standing relationship between the two companies.