Mallard Pass Solar Farm

There is a growing body of UK energy and climate change law, policy and guidance working to highlight the urgent need for new energy generation infrastructure, particularly from renewable sources such as solar. Electricity generated from solar power has carbon emissions which are near to zero over the lifetime of a project, and solar projects are also quick to construct and operate statically; meaning that they will provide decarbonisation benefits at the earliest opportunity with minimal noise or air quality impacts during operation.

The UK Government has committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and decarbonisation of the energy sector by 2035. Government expects that a low-cost, net zero consistent electricity system is likely to be composed predominantly of wind and solar, and that wind and solar will be key building blocks of the future generation mix. The UK needs sustained growth in the capacity of these sectors in the next decade to ensure that we are on a pathway that allows us to meet net zero emissions in all demand scenarios.

In April 2022, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published their Sixth Assessment Report on the status of global Climate Change. The report concluded that global commitments to decarbonise are not yet sufficient to meet nor sustain a successful track towards containing global temperature rise below 1.5 Celsius, and that many commitments which have been made have not yet been implemented in policy or action.

That same month, the UK Government published its April 2022 British Energy Security Strategy. The first quarter of this year demonstrated how the UK is exposed to volatile energy prices through international energy markets in coal, gas and oil. Price rises in 2022 have and will continue to filter through to consumer bills. In the Strategy, the Prime Minister wrote, “We need a power supply that’s made in Britain, for Britain”. In particular, the strategy supports a five-fold increase in the deployment of solar technology by 2035, recognising the abundant source of solar energy in the UK and the 85% reduction in solar cost over the last ten years.

At a time when gas prices are at an all-time high due to volatile international energy markets and our reliance on imported energy, it is our goal to deliver a project that provides a clean, renewable and low-cost source of electricity all the while delivering a biodiversity net gain in the local site area.

The UK already has over 13 gigawatts (GW) of solar installed and operational (National Statistics, 2022). This has been instrumental in helping the UK achieve a 70+% reduction in carbon emissions from electricity generation versus a 1990 baseline. Solar is already, and is set to continue to be, an incredibly important part of the electricity generation sector.

At this stage in project development, it is anticipated that Mallard Pass Solar Farm will not require public subsidy. One of the benefits of solar compared to some other forms of renewable energy generation is that, provided the site selected is commercially viable and that costs are not greater than normal, it can be viably delivered by private investment.

Since Stage One, Mallard Pass Solar Farm has decreased the proposed area for solar panels and infrastructure by over 100 hectares, going from 570 hectares at Stage One to 463 hectares at Stage Two. The total site area is 906 hectares, which has increased since Stage One due to the inclusion of about 23 hectares for potential highway improvement works and access routes. Around 420 hectares of the total site area is now being proposed as spaces for ecological mitigation and enhancement measures (tree belts; nature areas with picnic benches; wetland habitat areas) or to be retained as woodlands, hedgerows, and agricultural land.

Following Stage Two, the overall size of Mallard Pass was then decreased from 906 hectares to 852 hectares in the Development Consent Order (DCO) application for the project. This is because additional PV arrays were removed from the proposals (including the removal of the solar PV Site north of the Drift) so as to further protect local residential and public amenity, as well as appropriately mitigate visual impacts.

Over 28% (239 hectares) of the Mallard Pass Solar Farm land will be retained and continue to be used for agricultural production, and a further 419 hectares of grassland beneath the solar PV arrays will continue to support the agricultural industry through grazing and/or fodder production.

In addition to the generation of secure, low-cost, decarbonised and renewable energy, Mallard Pass would deliver a 72% biodiversity net gain for local species’ Habitats, improve green infrastructure connectivity through the creation of ecological corridors, as well as enhance and create new recreational routes.

As a result of environmental assessments and feedback received during both the non-statutory Stage One consultation (04 November – 16 December 2021) and Stage Two Statutory Consultation (26 May – 04 August 2022), the Development Consent Order (DCO) plans for Mallard Pass include:

• 112 hectares of new tussocky grassland with wildflowers;

• 43 hectares of wildflower grassland with calcareous species;

• 13.9 kilometres of new hedgerow planting;

• 3.7 hectares of wet woodland planting;

• 7.5 kilometres of new treebelt planting; and

• 8.1 kilometres of new permissive paths.

Mallard Pass Solar Farm has the potential to provide benefits at both the national and local level, helping the UK as a whole by increasing our country’s supply of reliable and low carbon energy, while at the same time offering environmental mitigation measures and local enhancements to community and biodiversity.

We are currently undertaking the process of refining the design and layout for the Mallard Pass Solar Farm proposals. The final output capacity of Mallard Pass will depend upon the final design selected for the development. As we work to further refine our plans, we will update our estimates of how much electricity we expect Mallard Pass Solar Farm to generate and continue to place this estimate within the context of local and national consumption.

In terms of proposed capacity, our proposals for Mallard Pass Solar Farm remain the same; the project is expected to have an installed generation capacity of approximately 350 megawatts (MW). This calculation is based on detailed technical analysis of the site area, which accounts for natural features, shadow effects and historical sunlight levels. Taking these factors into consideration, we estimate that our current proposals could generate approximately 350,000 megawatt hours (MWh) per year. This figure also accounts for hours in the year (8760) and a solar load factor, which is an efficiency indicator for electricity generation that accounts for factors such as weather conditions, and average hours of sunlight.

To help contextualise the 350 MW figure indicating the potential power output from the site, we relate it to potential homes powered. The average UK household consumes approximately 3.76 MWh per year. Therefore, Mallard Pass has the ability to generate the same amount of power each year as would be consumed by approximately 92,000 ‘average’ UK households, in a full 12-month period. For more information, please read our FAQ that breaks down the calculations in further detail below.

Please find a breakdown of the calculations used to determine the annual production and estimated homes powered for the Mallard Pass Solar Farm.

Annual production calculation

• The initial concept plan for Mallard Pass is expected to have an installed generation capacity of approximately 350 megawatts (MW).

• This calculation is based on detailed technical analysis of the site area, including natural features, shadow effects, and historical sunlight levels.

• Taking these factors into consideration, we estimate that our current proposals could generate approximately 350,000 megawatt hours (MWh) per year.

• This figure also accounts for the hours in the year and a solar load factor, which is an efficiency indicator for electricity generation that takes into account factors such as weather conditions, and average hours of sunlight.

• The expected annual production can be calculated as follows:

o 350,000 kW (installed capacity (350 MW * 1,000)) * 8,760 (number of hours in a year) * 0.114 (solar load factor estimated based on East Midlands history plus uplift for newer, more efficient solar panels) = 349,524,000 kWh.

Homes powered calculation

• Based on the annual electricity production figure of 349,542,000 kWh calculated above, we estimate that Mallard Pass Solar Farm has the potential to generate the same amount of power each year as would be consumed by approximately 92,000 ‘average’ UK households, in a full 12-month period.

• The estimated homes powered can be calculated as follows:

o 349,524,000 kWh (annual production (kWh)) / 3,760 kWh (average household consumption) = 92,958.51 ≈ 92,000 homes powered.

• This is roughly equivalent to the domestic consumption of electricity in Rutland and South Kesteven combined.

As part of the pre-application process for a Development Consent Order (DCO) Application, it is our responsibility to consult parties who hold an interest in any land that is within the draft Order limits for the project. This is a statutory requirement under section 42(d) and section 44 of the 2008 Planning Act.

This means that as part of our Stage Two Statutory Consultation, we sent letters to parties we believe have land interests affected by the Mallard Pass proposals, to consult with these stakeholders and gather feedback on our proposals.

This included parties who may have an interest in the land beneath public highway (known as “subsoil”) included in the draft Order limits. This included the subsoil beneath Stamford Road, where we are proposing to install and maintain cabling under the highway and acquire rights in the subsoil to do this. In law, those owning property either side of a highway are presumed to own the subsoil up to the middle point. To prove that this presumption is correct, the land owner needs to produce evidence to show the subsoil is in their ownership and they may be entitled to compensation. However, in practice the value of that compensation is typically low, reflecting the fact that the subsoil is of little, if any, use to the land owner.

If you think this applies to you / your property, please contact us directly via the project-dedicated communications lines listed below. Mallard Pass Solar Farm Limited is willing to discuss this issue with you, help assess your eligibility and consider any claim for compensation you may wish to make.