Anesco has obtained planning permission from South Staffordshire Council for the construction of a 48 MW solar farm in north-west England. The project will be situated on a 143-acre site in Coven, Staffordshire, with construction slated to begin in early 2025.
The solar farm will incorporate advanced biodiversity improvements aimed at supporting local wildlife and at-risk species. Anesco has stated that these initiatives will exceed standard planning requirements, providing an estimated biodiversity net gain of over 200%.
Hildagarde McCarville, chief executive of Anesco, expressed satisfaction with the approval, stating, “We are delighted to have secured approval to move ahead with this project. The solar farm at Coven will generate significant benefits for the environment and form part of the renewable infrastructure and security of supply that the country so vitally needs, if we are to achieve net zero and the government's target of 70 GW of solar by 2035.”
South Staffordshire Council declared a Climate Emergency in 2019 and has developed an action plan that emphasizes the importance of encouraging renewable energy sources. The project aligns with these objectives and contributes to the UK's energy transition and net zero target.
Anesco has already energized over 1.1 GW of solar and storage assets and aims to safely energize an additional 1.5 GW by 2030.
