Key facts
- Project Design
- Community Consultation
- Planning Application Submission
- Planning Application Decision
- Construction
-
Where
Kirk Merrington, County Durham
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What
Colocated solar / battery storage
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Network Connection Capacity
50 MW
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Equivalent household power use
15,000 thousand
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Annual CO2 emissions saved
23,000 tonnes
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Targeted Operational Date
2032
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Project Development Size
100 hectares
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Project Lifespan
40 years
Clearstone is developing a colocated solar and storage project that will connect to the National Grid substation at Spennymoor, near to Durham in northern England.
The project has secured a Gate 2 connection for Phase 2 of the Government’s Clean Power Action Plan so will contribute to meeting additional electricity demand generated by the adoption of EVs, heat pumps and the electrification of industry.
We are in the process of designing the site in advance of sharing our proposal with the local community.
Project overview
It is estimated that Britain has lost around 50% of its natural biodiversity since the 1970s due to intensive farming, new housing and commercial development.
Because the panels are mounted on slimline frames, less than 2% of the site area will be covered. That means we can use the remaining 98% for planting flower rich grassland and creating new habitats for wildlife such as butterflies, skylarks and hedgehogs.
Typically we would also allocate some of the site for a dedicated nature restoration area. On average, our solar projects achieve a net gain of 65% in biodiversity.
Biodiversity benefits
We want our projects to be a catalyst for the broader adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects within the communities that host them.
Spennymoor Solar will provide financial support annually to enable low income households in the community to implement energy efficiency initiatives that would permanently reduce energy bills.
Those residents that live closest to the site will receive an electricity bill subsidy payment every year the project is operational so they benefit directly from the energy produced by the project.
We will also make funds and support available for community energy projects, such as installing solar panels on community buildings.
Community benefit
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