Largest solar farm in UK commissioned at airfield
May 2nd, 2013The largest solar farm in the UK has been connected and commissioned on a former World War II airfield.
The 34 MW project at Wymeswold Airfield in Leicestershire, England, cost £35m and was developed by Lark Energy and is funded and owned by Hazel Capital.
The solar farm consists of 130,000 solar panels and was built in less than eight weeks. It was built around the former airstrip, which is now used for a mix of agricultural, leisure and sporting purposes, including a truck driving training centre and athletics and equestrian events.
All of these activities will continue – literally – in the middle of the solar farm, which Lark Energy says “demonstrates how a solar farm can co-exist successfully with other land uses”.
Lark Energy’s managing director Jonathan Selwyn said: “As the largest solar farm in the UK, the project has not been without its challenges, both technical and weather related. It is a testament to the teamwork of the various parties involved in its development and delivery that it was completed and connected on time.”
Ben Guest, managing partner of Hazel Capital, added that “larger industrial sites make great locations for solar projects going forward in the UK”.
