RWE has been granted planning permission for the 180MW Byers Gill solar farm in County Durham, England.
UK energy department DESNZ today (23 July) approved a Development Consent Order (DCO) for the ground-mounted scheme located across neighbouring sites between Darlington and Stockton-on-Tees.
Battery energy storage of around 180MW will also be included at the project, which is planned to connect to the grid at National Grid’s Norton substation.
It follows the submission of a permit application for the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) in February 2024 and subsequent examination by the UK Planning Inspectorate.
Planning officials handed over their recommendation of approval for government determination in April 2025.
Byers Gill is RWE’s first DCO permit for a solar project in the UK.
The developer yesterday submitted a DCO application for the proposed 600MW Tween Bridge solar farm in Yorkshire.
RWE head of UK solar and storage Adam Swarbrick said: “This latest successful consent further strengthens RWE’s solar and battery storage development pipeline in the UK, supporting the UK’s energy security ambitions.
“Byers Gill is our largest co-located solar and battery storage development project to be consented in the UK, and the first to successfully navigate the detailed scrutiny of the NSIP examination process.
“This success is a testament to the expertise and capability that sits within RWE’s development teams. Our next step is to work towards a successful internal investment decision.”