EDF Renewables UK’s first utility-scale solar PV project has officially entered commercial operation.
The 49.9MW Sutton Bridge solar farm in Lincolnshire, which began generating electricity in 2023, has also launched a £20,000 per annum community benefit fund.
The fund, administered by the Lincolnshire Community Foundation, is intended to support local initiatives such as the Sutton Bridge Foodbank.
Representatives from community organisations joined EDF staff at a recent event marking the project’s progress. Attendees heard about the project’s environmental features, including its focus on biodiversity.
Planning permission was granted by South Holland Council in 2021, with construction starting the following year.
EDF appointed Anesco as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor. Biodiversity measures include planting native hedgerows to encourage local wildlife.
EDF has also received planning permission to add a battery energy storage system (BESS) at the site.
“Solar is already playing an important part in the UK’s journey to net zero, so we are very proud that our first UK solar farm, Sutton Bridge, began operating last year,” said Grant Foley, head of origination and planning at EDF Renewables UK.
“During development, we placed a great amount of focus on improving biodiversity on site, so it is encouraging to see a variety of ground nesting birds, rabbits and muntjac now on site as a result of this hard work,” Foley added.
Sutton Bridge is one of three large-scale solar PV projects EDF brought online in 2023. The company’s UK portfolio also includes battery storage, wind, and nuclear assets.
Each initial solar project is sized at 49.9MW – just under the 50MW threshold that would classify them as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs).
In January EDF Renewables’ UK DCO application for its Springwell Solar Farm was accepted by the national planning inspectorate, further extending the company’s reach into the UK.
