NEW WELSH SOLAR PROJECT PLANS BEGIN TO PROGRESS
Local communities in Wales are being invited to have their say on updated plans for the Plas Power Solar Project on an area of land near Wrexham.
The Plas Power Solar Project aims to provide a renewable energy source while helping to reduce carbon emissions, contributing to Wales’ net-zero goals.
It will also contribute to the UK’s ambitious plan of a fivefold increase in solar energy generation, with the aim to get it up to 70GW by 2035 as set out in the UK’s Net Zero and Energy Security Strategy.
It is estimated that the solar project could generate up to 57MWac of electricity, which is equivalent to providing enough power to meet the annual electricity needs of approximately 27,726 homes, saving 15,821 tonnes of carbon.
The ~140 hectare site which use to be an open cast coal mine is located immediately east of Coedpoeth and 3.4km west of Wrexham. Other nearby settlements include New Broughton, Rhostyllen and Talwrn.
In April 2019, the Welsh Government declared a climate emergency and published its Future Wales: The National Plan 2040 in 2021. The rising cost of energy and the need for energy security makes the delivery of renewable energy projects increasingly vital.
Katy McGuiness, Head of Environmental Planning UK of Lightsource BP, said: “We believe that the Plas Power Solar Project could make a significant contribution to Wrexham County Borough Council’s renewable energy targets in the immediate future. We are committed to responsibly developing sustainable renewable energy projects delivering benefits that go beyond solar to the surrounding environment and communities.
We place great value in the knowledge and views of the communities in which we operate and look forward to hearing the thoughts and ideas of local residents and stakeholders as we continue to develop our proposals.”
Lightsource BP is committed to working closely with local communities in relation to the Plas Power Solar Project to ensure local understanding of the plans. Following the initial engagement in 2021, Lightsource BP has updated the proposals and is now carrying out the next phase of engagement to give local people the opportunity to find out more and discuss the updated proposals with the project team.
The Lightsource BP team will be discussing the proposals with members of the community on the 27th & 28th of June as well as the hosting a webinar on June 20th.
The project team are also hosting a webinar on Tuesday 20 June from 6pm to 7pm providing an opportunity to find out more about the project and meet the team virtually.
The deadline for the public comments is Monday 17 July. All feedback will then be reviewed and used to help inform the final proposals for the energy park. The detailed proposals will form the basis of the statutory consultation later this year.
