The UK government has approved Elements Green’s 800MW Great North Road solar farm in England.
It is the second consent awarded to a large-scale solar scheme by energy department DESNZ today, with Cubico’s 150MW Frodsham also given the green light.
Great North Road is cleared for construction at a site close to Newark in Nottinghamshire.
It will connect to the grid at the Staythorpe substation, where network capacity has been freed up by the closure of fossil-fuelled power stations.
At 800MW, it is among the largest solar projects approved in the UK to-date.
UK energy minister Michael Shanks said: “Solar power is the cheapest generation we can build and is crucial to delivering energy security and tackling affordability for families and businesses. 
“More homegrown power that we control is a once in a generation opportunity to grow our economy and tackle the root cause of sky-high energy bills: our exposure to volatile global fossil fuel markets.”
A Development Consent Order application for Great North Road was submitted to the UK Planning Inspectorate for examination in June 2025.
The authority’s recommendation report was sent to DESNZ for determination in July this year.
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