German power producer RWE has concluded its statutory consultation on its 320MW Peartree Hill solar-plus-storage project in the East Riding of Yorkshire and is now reviewing community feedback.
Due to its scale, Peartree Hill is a nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP), meaning it must submit a development consent order (DCO) application. As part of this process, the National Planning Inspectorate will examine and recommend whether to approve or reject the development, with the Secretary of State having the final say.
The proposed development will establish a grid connection via underground cables to the Creyke Beck Substation, transferring the electricity to the national electricity network.
Throughout the consultation phase—the second round having launched in May 2024—RWE received feedback from 160 submissions from local people and organisations. The company said it was now “carefully reviewing” each submission prior to submitting the DCO.
RWE also intends to establish a community fund benefit, with £4.2 million allocated to this across the project’s 40-year lifespan. This will be used to support local causes and initiatives.
Mike Greslow, development project manager of Peartree Hill Solar Farm at RWE, outlined the potential of community insight and how it can help shape a better application.
“Community insight is critical to good design, and it has been a pleasure to speak with so many local people about how we can make this project genuinely contribute to the local area,” Grewslow said.
“We have received plenty of comments and contributions, which we are carefully reviewing to help inform the next phase of the project’s design before we look to submit our DCO application.”
RWE eyes solar opportunity in GB
RWE has previously outlined its aims to commission an average of 450MW of new solar capacity in the UK annually until 2030 to bolster its global capacity, which is planned to increase by 3.9GW to 16GW by 2030.
The company secured a portfolio of UK solar projects via the acquisition of developer JBM Solar.
In March, it began constructing its first seven solar and storage sites, representing 330MW of solar and 45MW of co-located battery energy storage systems (BESS). All seven projects have successfully secured Contracts for Difference (CfD) and will be constructed to facilitate a co-located BESS asset where one is not already installed. The first site is expected to be operational by the end of 2024.
