Green light for UK's first solar energy plant

The UK's first solar power plant has been granted planning consent by Cornwall Council amid claims that the project could spark a "solar gold rush" for the county as developers rush to take advantage of the government's feed-in tariff incentives.

Solar developer 35 Degrees yesterday secured the go-ahead from Cornwall Council to install around 5,000 solar panels at the 7.3-acre disused tin mine site at Wheal Jane, near Truro.

Installing the 2m-high panels will take four to eight weeks and the site will be up and running in the "next three to four months", according to the company.

When complete the power plant is expected to generate 1.34 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of solar power annually – enough to power 300 households and save around 35,000 tons of carbon dioxide over a 25-year period compared to a coal power station.

German solar module manufacturer SOLON SE, a leading supplier of photovoltaic systems, will work with 35 Degrees to develop the site, alongside Cornish solar installer Plug into the Sun.

Managing director of 35 Degrees, Dr Stephen McCabe, told BusinessGreen.com that despite Britain's notoriously inclement weather, the facility will prove "highly viable" and is expected to act as a template for other investors and project developers.

"There is a lot of activity in the sector right now due to feed-in tariffs," he said. "I suppose it's similar to the beginning of the internet era. This is… the first building block in bringing a new growth industry to Cornwall and the UK."

McCabe confirmed that the plant was an initial step towards achieving the company's five year ambition of building around 20 4-5MW projects in the South West.

"This is a 'first stage' project for us," he said. "Our goal was to build a plant greater than 1MW and we'll use this as a test to iron out any issues. Moving forward we'd like to build up to 100MW."

The Wheal Jane facility will qualify for the feed-in tariff scheme, which guarantees a set level of income to businesses that generate renewable energy either for use on site or to be fed back into the National Grid.

Tim German, head of Low Carbon Cornwall, said the feed-in tariffs coupled with a high incidence of sunshine in the South West and the council's commitment to developing a low carbon economy had resulted in a large number of planning applications for solar projects in recent months.

"Across Cornwall already we have had communications with companies putting in large applications for plants of various sizes," he said. "It's like the industrial revolution of the 21st century for us."

But local infrastructure and supply chains will need to be in place if Cornwall is to capitalise on a market that the council estimates could eventually see £1bn worth of investment flowing into the county.

Carolyn Rule, Cornwall council cabinet member for the economy and regeneration, confirmed the council was working closely with renewable energy companies to maximize Cornwall's potential.

"We need to make the most of this unique opportunity and we are working with the private sector to ensure that this huge investment brings real benefits to people in Cornwall in terms of new jobs, new infrastructure and business opportunities,” she said.