Harmony Energy submits planning application for £30m North Yorks solar farm

Yorkshire-based renewable energy company, Harmony Energy, has submitted a planning application for a £30m solar farm in Ryedale.

If approved, the site, which will be located 2.5km from Malton town centre adjacent to Eden Camp, will generate sufficient power via 72,000 solar panels to meet the average annual electricity needs of 8,660 homes – or just over a third of the households in the Ryedale District.

The company has agreed a deal with landowner, The Fitzwilliam Malton Estate, to rent just under 53 hectares, which in addition to the solar panels will see the creation of new wildflower meadows, woodland planting and improvements to existing hedgerows, creating an overall biodiversity net gain of more than 105 per cent.

And as the new North Yorkshire Council has its sights on the county being carbon net zero by 2030, the solar farm will make carbon dioxide savings of 12,500 tonnes per year.

In addition to providing a £10,000 per annum community benefit fund for the 40-year lifespan of the scheme, Harmony Energy has agreed a Letter of Intent with nearby Eden Business Park, to supply local businesses with clean, green electricity, direct from the proposed solar farm, helping to reduce energy costs at a time of record energy prices, and sustaining companies that create local jobs and pay business rates which benefit the wider community.

Peter Kavanagh, Harmony Energy’s CEO, said: “Following feedback from the initial public consultation, we revised our plans accordingly, which included reducing the size of the site.

“We submitted the planning application straight after the new year holiday, and we’re now awaiting Ryedale District Council to validate the planning application.

“We are seeking temporary permission to develop the £30m, 30.4MW solar farm, which will have a battery energy storage capacity of 12.63MW.

“The 40-year operational lifespan of the scheme will provide an opportunity for the soil to rejuvenate and thereafter, the site will be fully reinstated and restored to its original use.

“The construction will result in minimal soil damage, as the panels are simply staked into the ground using metal frames.”

Mr Kavanagh added: “The scheme we are proposing will deliver real benefits for Malton and North Yorkshire, helping reduce the country’s reliance on environmentally damaging fossil fuels to generate electricity for homes and businesses.

“The creation of wildflower meadows, tree planting and improving the hedgerows will boost the environment by significantly increasing the area’s biodiversity.

“In the next few weeks, we will be holding a public drop-in session, where residents and interested parties will be able to view plans and talk to members of the project team.”