The company behind a huge solar farm project in Norfolk is “reviewing the next steps” after it missed out on a coveted date to connect to the National Grid.
Developer Aukera wants to build the 3,600-acre Tasway Energy Park on agricultural land near Long Stratton in south Norfolk, to power about 200,000 homes.
But such schemes need to go through a process to secure dates to be connected to the national grid, with the National Energy System Operator assessing whether they will receive Gate 1 or Gate 2 status.
Gate 2 status means projects meet requirements for readiness and alignment with national strategies – and can get confirmed connection dates, connection points and position in a queue for development.
But those only awarded Gate 1 status are not given a confirmed connection date, although they can go forward in the future if “readiness is demonstrated”.
And the Tasway Energy Park scheme has only been granted Gate 1 status.
A spokesman for the project said: “Tasway Energy Park has been awarded a Gate 1 offer.
“This means when capacity becomes available in the region we would be eligible to accept a full grid connection offer.
“The project team will now be reviewing next steps for the Tasway programme and how this outcome will affect this.
“This outcome will mean there will be a delay to the planning submission process until the project has better visibility of a grid connection point.”
However, another massive project planned for acres of the county’s countryside has received confirmation it will be able to connect to the grid.
Island Green Power’s East Pye Solar Farm, which would span 2,700 acres of farmland, close to villages such as Hempnall, Saxlingham, Shotesham, Brooke, Woodton and Great Moulton, has been given Gate 2 status.
The same company’s proposed Droves Solar Farm, which would stretch across around 2,800 acres of countryside between Swaffham and Castle Acre, recently moved a significant step closer.
The Planning Inspectorate has formally accepted the application and placed it into the pre-examination stage, where an examining authority will be appointed to assess the proposal.
The solar farm plans have been met with growing resistance in many Norfolk communities, with critics raising concerns about the loss of farmland as well as the cumulative impact on the landscape.
Frustration has been particularly acute because the ultimate decision on many of the projects will be taken by Ed Miliband, secretary of state for energy and net zero, rather than local councils.
In some areas, villagers have even been told they could be forced to sell their homes to make way for the panels.
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