Rhonda Cynon Taf council has granted Windel Energy planning permission for a 9.9MW solar project. The project will connect at Talbot Green substation in Ynysmaerdy.
This marks the developer’s second consent this year, “hopefully one of many more to come.” At the beginning of May, Cumberland Council greenlit a joint development with Recurrent Energy for a 200MW/400MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on the outskirts of Carlisle.
Recurrent Energy was recently awarded a multi-currency revolving credit facility worth up to €1.3 billion (£1.1 billion) to finance new solar projects in several countries, including the UK. This funding will initially support the development of up to 1GW of solar capacity in the UK and Spain.
Recurrent and Windel work together across the UK under a development services agreement. Other projects include the Mallard Pass solar farm, which will generate about 350MW of solar energy and is considered a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP).
After Clair Coutinho, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, moved the decision deadline for the project back, the UK General Election was announced, meaning the outcome was further delayed.
The 9.9MW solar farm near Talbot Green has completed the Judicial Review period and the companies anticipate connecting the project within 2025. The detailed design of the connection is being agreed with the DNO. Planning consultants, The Sirius Group, assisted with bringing the project through consent.
Harry Wilder, head of business development UK at Recurrent Energy, told Solar Power Portal: “Recurrent Energy is really excited to see the Talbot Green Solar PV project consented. This success is due to the hard work of the Recurrent UK team, our development partner Windel Energy and our planning consultants.
“At Recurrent, we are committed to developing projects of all sizes in the UK, whether they are smaller projects like Talbot green on the Distribution Network or NSIPs like Mallard pass or Tilbridge, which connect to the Transmission Network. This strategy is, I believe, essential as there is no one-size-fits-all for solar projects; every situation is different, and the development of all types of projects will be crucial if we are to meet our climate goals and provide affordable, secure energy in the UK.”
