The recent approval of Scotland‘s biggest solar farm in Moray is believed to bring a remarkable growth to the Northern region of Great Britain. While this will help the UK reach its 2030 energy target, WWF applauds the development.

A new solar project has recently been approved, bringing 200,000 solar panels to the ex-RAF Milltown base in Scotland‘s North-Eastern area of Lhanbryde, in Moray. It will be four times larger than the currently largest site, which is located in the Errol Estate in Perthshire.

Location was chosen wisely

While Scotland is commonly known for its rainy weather, developer Elgin Energy still had a reason to choose this particular location. “It may come as a surprise to many,“ Stephanie Conesa, policy manager at Scottish Renewables, said, „[but] the electrical potential of a solar array in Scotland is very similar, if not better than, one in central or northern England or parts of Wales.“ The area has, in fact, an exceptionally high amount of daylight hours.

New plant will help reach 2030 energy target

This new addition to the Scottish PV capacity will help the country to reach its energy target: “Scotland really can be a hotspot for this type of green energy. It is low cost, popular and it absolutely must be in the country’s mix to meet its 50% renewable target by 2030.”

Elgin Energy will also be building a separate farm at Speyslaw, which is located near Urquhart. This plant will count 80,000 solar panels. Together with the farm in Lhanbryde, the plant can power 21,000 homes or 26,000 electric cars for an entire year, paving the road for the much awaited clean energy growth in Scotland.

WWF encourages development of new solar projects

Meanwhile, the WWF is urging the UK Government to encourage solar energy growth and create favourable conditions for this type of renewable energy. “We’re calling on the UK Government to provide a route to market solar to ensure it can make its full contribution,“ Sam Gardner, the organization‘s acting director, explained. “After many parts of Scotland have been basking in sunshine over recent days, it is great to see this large solar farm granted planning permission.“

Title image: Shutterstock/Pop Paul Catalin