Project Update

Since our Public Information Day on 25 May 2023, we have been continuing to refine the design of the solar farm, taking into consideration the results of final surveys and assessments as well as any feedback from the community and stakeholders.

As a direct result of feedback from the Public Information Day, we have relocated some of the inverters further away from residential properties and existing Public Rights of Way.

RES is proud to have been innovators in the development of the global renewable energy market and we continue to seek new and pioneering ways to improve the efficiency and generation potential of our schemes.  Following recent technological and commercial advancements, we propose to include hybrid battery energy storage units as part of the proposed development to help increase the flexibility and generation opportunities for Shipmeadow Solar Farm.

Energy storage will be a key part in managing the increasingly complex supply and demand needs of the 21st Century. The grid network must be finely balanced; electrical demand must match electrical generation at all times. If this balance is not achieved, it can lead to blackouts and the failure of grid circuits.

The addition of battery storage units would enable excess generation from the solar farm to be stored, then released back to the grid network during times of no or low generation from the solar panels, for example during winter.

It is proposed to include 2 x battery storage containers each measuring 6m x 2.5m x 3m (length x width x height) at each inverter location. A small amount of solar infrastructure has been removed to accommodate the energy units, however, Shipmeadow Solar Farm would be maintained at 40MW for solar generated electricity.  Click on the image below to view the updated infrastructure layout plan.

We are continuing to work on the design of Shipmeadow Solar Farm. We have been in consultation with Suffolk Highways and East Suffolk Council regarding construction traffic and we are continuing to work on a design that minimises any potential impacts. We are also continuing our site surveys including ecology surveys. We will keep the community notified should any planning application be submitted to East Suffolk Council in the future.