Plans for solar power parks in Cornwall
Investment in a new solar power plant set to be developed in Cornwall could significantly impact engineering recruitment in the area.
Last month Cornwall County Council received a planning application for the development of two parks which would have capacities of 2.2 MW and 1.5 MW. The council is hoping it will be able to generate major investment by granting planning permission for the parks and have been in discussions with 30 companies.
The council anticipates it will receive between 50 and 100 planning applications and should planning permission be granted, the South West could lead the way in solar power, producing up to 750MW in solar photovoltaic capacity. In 2009, the UK had a total of just 32MW.
Adrian Lea, Cornwall's natural resources planning team manager told Planning Resource that the boost in applications for solar parks is due to the feed-in tariff and the European Commission's global irradiation report, which revealed that South West England had the highest level of irradiation in the UK.
"Solar Panels last for 25 years, as do feed in tariffs. If developments are proposed on lower-grade agricultural land we would advise granting temporary permission. However, connectivity to the grid could be a problem with the surge in power generate," Lea said.
Solar manufacturer Solon SE is one of the companies awaiting permission for their plans for the site. Solon CEO Stefan Sauberlich told New Civil Engineer: "Solon is close to building the first ground-mounted solar power plant in the UK and sounding the starting shot for a market with a very promising future."
Author: Hannah McLaverty-Williamson
Keywords: Engineering Recruitment