Banks Renewables is developing a planning application for a 50MW solar project on a 116-hectare site near its Penny Hill wind farm in south Yorkshire.
The Common Farm solar project also includes a 50MW battery energy storage system linking directly into the Thurcroft electricity sub-station around three km to the north of the site.
As part of the company’s policy of delivering tangible benefits to the places in which its operations are based, at least £50,000 of the revenues generated by the Common Farm project would be made available every year as part of a package to support local good causes.
A detailed ecology and biodiversity strategy is also being developed to ensure the site delivers a net benefit in biodiversity to the local community.
Banks Renewables is expecting to submit a planning application to Rotherham Council for the new scheme in the coming months, with a view to it being determined before the end of the year.
The Penny Hill wind farm, the Hook Moor wind farm to the east of Leeds, the Marr wind farm to the west of Doncaster and the Hazlehead wind farm near Barnsley generated almost 89,000 MWh of electricity between them over the 12 months to the end of September 2021.
Banks Renewables is also currently developing the Barnsdale solar energy park to the south east of Leeds.
Lewis Stokes, senior community relations manager at Banks Group, said: “Maximising the production of renewable energy from domestic sources is a crucial part of the UK’s ongoing journey towards its Net Zero targets, especially within the current energy security climate, and the Common Farm solar scheme will further extend the contribution that we’re able to make locally towards reaching these goals.
“The project is located in an area that we know very well, and having conducted a detailed search, we identified this site as providing the best opportunity to create a solar park that links directly into the Thurcroft substation.”