UK’s Enso Energy hails successful appeal for solar-plus-storage project

A representative from UK-based developer Enso Energy has announced the country’s Labour government has reversed a decision made by the previous administration to block a solar-plus-storage project in Essex, England.

On Nov. 27, 2024, Simon Chamberlayne, head of planning at Enso, announced on the LinkedIn social media platform, “Delighted that our appeal for a solar farm and battery storage facility … in Chelmsford has been allowed!”

The developer had appealed against a decision by former minister of state for housing, planning, and building safety, Lee Rowley, to refuse permission for the planned “up to 49.9 MW” solar farm, which would also have featured an unspecified volume of battery energy storage capacity, in the form of “around” 20 battery containers.

The former Conservative-government minister ruled against the proposed project, on April 8, 2024, mainly because of its visual impact, including on nearby historic buildings, and on loss-of-green-belt grounds.

With the general election held in July 2024 ushering in a Labour government, Chamberlayne has announced the appeal against Rowley’s decision has been successful. Labour’s plans to prioritize upgrades to, and expansion of grid infrastructure in the United Kingdom, to accelerate the adoption of clean energy, have raised opposition in some of the communities concerned and there was strong local opposition to the Chelmsford site when it was passing through the planning process.

Hertsmere Borough Council had blocked the initial planning application for the solar-plus-storage facility, in 2021, on green belt and heritage grounds.

Documents outlining why former minister Rowley had rejected Enso’s appeal against the council’s decision indicate the site will feature bifacial, tracker-mounted solar panels, 16 inverter and transformer containers, the battery containers, and a substation and control room.

The document states the 35-year lifetime of the project would see 25,400 metric tons of CO₂ emissions negated annually and would provide enough grid electricity to power 15,600 homes.