A major step in the UK’s transition to clean energy was marked today (12th March 2024) as a Somerset solar farm made history by becoming the first to be energised since National Grid Electricity Distribution introduced changes to speed up connections late last year.
Horsey Levels, owned by Blackfinch Energy and located near Bridgwater, Somerset, has been developed and constructed by clean energy company Enviromena and will have an annual energy yield of 27,550MWh – enough to provide clean energy for over 10,000 homes and avoid over 5,000 tonnes of CO2.
The project made history as the first in the country to have been energised significantly ahead of its original planned connection date, made possible through the Technical Limits acceleration programme. The grid connection process, Technical Limits has been rolled out by Distribution Network Operators (DNOs), like National Grid Electricity Distribution and the Electricity System Operator (ESO) as part of the Energy Networks Association’s (ENA) 3-point plan allowing distribution schemes to connect before large-scale transmission reinforcement work has finished. The Technical Limits programme has accelerated projects in National Grid Electricity Distribution’s region by an average of more than 5 years.
Enviromena’s team has worked closely with senior members of National Grid Electricity Distribution and the ESO in order to help facilitate solutions that enable connections to be accelerated and, in turn, turbocharge the deployment of renewable energy across the UK. Significantly, Horsey Levels has helped pave the way for future accelerated projects to be connected ahead of schedule.
Enviromena CEO Chris Marsh said: “We are delighted to energise the first accelerated project as part of National Grid’s reforms to help bring forward the connection dates of renewable energy projects. Following the notification of the delay of this important project, our team has worked closely with the National Grid Electricity Distribution and the ESO in order to find solutions to help accelerate this project and other similarly delayed projects.
“We have been supported from the outset by the project owner, Blackfinch Energy. In addition, we have worked closely with Somerset Council to agree rights to connect the project on council-owned land.
“Our efforts to ensure that other projects within our pipeline are connected ahead of schedule continue, and we are already in the final stages of building out another accelerated scheme, which we are looking to energise in the next couple of months. We are also pleased that our efforts will play a part in helping other project developers to energise their schemes ahead of schedule in the months and years ahead.”
He added: “I’m also delighted to report that this is a further ‘first’ for the Enviromena management team, having also been the first to deploy utility-scale batteries to a solar project in the UK back in 2014 and the first to install subsidy-free solar in the UK in 2017.”
Horsey Levels is owned by Blackfinch Energy, part of Blackfinch Group, a leading UK specialist investment manager. Alan Gorman, Investment Director at Blackfinch Energy, said: “We are immensely proud to be part of the UK’s transition to a more sustainable and clean energy future with the Horsey Levels solar farm. The energisation of Horsey is a fantastic milestone that we are delighted to celebrate. The collaborative approach between all the parties involved is enabling the realisation of greater security of UK renewable energy. It’s a powerful representation of retail investor capital in action, helping to contribute to long-term, positive, sustainable outcomes.”
Steve Cross, South West Operations Director for National Grid Electricity Distribution, said: “This is an important milestone in the work we are doing to enable grid connections to help decarbonise the communities we serve.
“We are investing £500 million over the next five years to ensure electricity generation customers can connect to our network and we are working closely with industry, Ofgem and government to streamline the process and accelerate connection times for active projects.
“Horsey Levels is the first of many renewable projects to benefit from this concerted and co-ordinated approach and will undoubtedly make a valuable contribution to the South West’s pursuit of net zero targets.”
The project also showcases how support from local authorities can help drive the roll-out of renewable energy across the UK. The project received unanimous support from Somerset Council and was granted planning consent through delegated power in 2022 and, more significantly, the project connects to the electricity grid on land owned by Somerset Council.
Chairman of Somerset Council, Councillor Mike Best said “Our Council Plan sets out our commitment to a greener more sustainable Somerset, and as we continue to work towards net zero, we welcome clean energy solutions that benefit our communities and the environment. The Horsey Levels project near Bridgwater will make a significant contribution to reducing carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels.”
The Electricity System Operator (ESO) Interim Director of Engineering and Customer Solutions, David Wildash said: “It’s great to see the Horsey Levels solar power project plug in to the electricity grid through the collective efforts on Technical Limits and accelerating connections. Through our plans to speed up the process and with support for wider industry initiatives, the ESO has facilitated the acceleration of 40GW of connection offers but we know there is lots more we all need to do. To deliver even more clean, secure power to homes and businesses across Great Britain we will continue to collaborate with the energy industry, network operators, government and Ofgem to reform and modernise the connections process.”
Enviromena works closely with Arjun Infrastructure Partners, which acquired the clean energy project company in 2017. Since then, the partnership has led to several successful projects including with Close Brothers, Doncaster City Council and most recently winning a contract to re-power three major UK solar farms ahead of the summer energy peak.
Arjun Infrastructure Partners’ Head of Asset Management, Julian Skinner, said: “Arjun is delighted to see the Enviromena team playing a critical role in the UK’s transition to clean energy. We look forward to continue supporting the team in their efforts through the funding of Enviromena’s ambitious plans for the further roll-out of a significant pipeline of clean energy projects.”
Image: The Enviromena team at Horsey Levels (L-R) Nathan Pitt, Lee Adams, Chris Marsh, Gary Saunders, Mark Phillips, Mark Harding
Image: (L-R) Steve Cross, South West Operations Director, Chris Marsh, CEO of Enviromena, Cllr Mike Best, Chair of Somerset Council, Alan Gorman, Investment Director Blackfinch Energy