EDF Renewables submits plans for solar farm near Norwich

As world leaders gathered in Glasgow for COP26 to agree on further action to tackle climate change, EDF Renewables is submitting a planning application to install a solar farm in Norfolk, eastern England.

The 49.9 MW solar farm, Bloy’s Grove, is set to be located between the villages of Swainsthorpe and Mulbarton, just south of Norwich, and may be capable of generating enough low-carbon electricity to power around 14,000 homes annually, the company claims.

Read more: EDF prepares to support Poland's nuclear programme

Several environmental impact assessments have been carried out in preparation, and EDF has refined its plans and submitted a planning application to South Norfolk Council.

The council will now consider the application and carry out their own public consultation on EDF Renewables’ plans before reaching a decision. 

Amongst growing concerns about climate change, the Bloy’s Grove project could contribute to saving around 14,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year. The project will also deliver significant additional local benefits.

If planning permission is granted, a community fund of £20,000 will be paid annually for the 35-year lifetime of the project, double the sum proposed during the consultation period. 

EDF Renewables has listened to the feedback received and has reduced the number of panel rows in the northeast of the site to reduce the visual impact on nearby residents. The company will also improve biodiversity on site, such as planting trees, hedges, and wildflower and grass meadow throughout the site.  

Darren Cuming, Planning and Consent Manager at EDF Renewables, said: “EDF Renewables is an experienced developer, and we are firmly committed to solar as a technology which will help us accelerate a net-zero future where clean energy powers all our lives.”

EDF Renewables received planning permission for its first large-scale UK solar development – the 49.9MW Sutton Bridge development – in March 2021. The company has also acquired the 49.9MW Burwell solar farm from AGR and the 49.9MW Porth Wen project from Countryside Renewables.

EDF, a French company, is perhaps most famous in the UK for its role in Britain's nuclear sector - most prominently the controversial Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C plants.

Read more: Chinese shareholder could lose its stake in Sizewell C plant

Sizewell C is currently facing issues with the government looking for external private investors after it was revealed the UK government are planning to expel China General Nuclear (CGN) from the project, forcing it to relinquish its 20% stake.

This is owing to a growing trend in western countries of excluding Chinese state-owned companies away from private ventures over security concerns and rising geopolitical tensions.

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