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Plans to build what would become Europe’s largest solar farm have been thrown into doubt after “months of analysis”.
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The case for renewables looks stronger than ever, as the war in Iran continues to send oil and gas prices soaring. The latest analysis shows that the sun, chosen as the cheapest form of clean energy, saved Europe € 3 billion last month by reducing its dependence on fossil fuels.
However, building renewables has become controversial – with many Europeans alienated by wind turbines and solar panels taking over their green spaces.
An ambitious plan to build Europe’s largest solar farm
Botley West Solar Farm, which began construction in September 2022, aims to be connected to the grid in autumn 2029.
In Oxfordshire, England, the farm could provide 840 megawatts of clean energy, enough to power about 330,000 homes. This represents 1.2 per cent of the UK’s solar energy target by 2035.
Photovolt Development Partners (PVDP), the company running the £800 million (about 916.43 million) project, says the farm will also help the country reduce carbon emissions and improve its energy security.
Although PVDP has pledged to deliver a minimum diversification benefit of at least 70 percent, nearby residents have urged the company to scale back its massive project due to concerns about its potential impact on the environment.
Ian Hudspeth, former leader of Oxfordshire County Council, who lives in one of the areas included in the proposals, said the farm would create a “sea of glass and steel” across the country.
A campaign group has been formed to protest the launch. Stop Botley West argues that installing more solar would have a negative impact on the number of crops grown in the area, and says the current plans are too close to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Blenheim Palace.
The group also says there will be a loss of wildlife habitat, increased risk of flooding and an “unprecedented” impact on the region.
Nick Eyre of the University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute says many concerns about the impact of food are “grossly exaggerated”.
He told the BBC: “We can produce food more efficiently, we know how to do that.” “To be exact, one percent of the area [of the UK] they are golf courses. I don’t hear anyone saying that golf courses are dangerous for food safety.
Will Botley West continue?
Planning inspectors sent a report on the Botley West proposal to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband in February. Under UK planning law, this means that the decision must be announced within three months (10 May), unless a statement is made announcing that a new deadline will be set.
However, the UK government has confirmed that the decision on the solar farm will be delayed for four months, until 10 September.
“This is to help my Department seek more information from the applicant in sufficient time to allow other interested parties to consider this information,” says Martin McCluskey, Minister of Energy Consumers.
“The decision to reschedule this application is without prejudice to the decision to grant or deny a development permit.”
Professor Alex Roger, chairman of Stop Botley West, said: “We welcome the Secretary of State’s decision to seek further information from the Applicant, and to allow sufficient time for it to be reviewed by interested parties such as the Stop Botley West community group.”
Euronews Earth has contacted the PVDP for comment.
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