Reading’s Anesco gets green light for 48MW solar farm

Anesco has received planning permission from South Staffordshire Council for the development of a 48-megawatt solar farm in Coven, Staffordshire.

The 143-acre site will generate enough green electricity to power 13,000 homes and save roughly 10,000 tonnes of carbon emissions a year.

Construction is expected to begin in early 2025.

Once complete, the solar farm will be operational for 40 years, after which time the panels and infrastructure will be removed and the land returned to agricultural use.

Hildagarde McCarville, CEO of Reading-based Anesco, said: “We’re delighted to have secured approval to move ahead with this project.

“The solar farm at Coven will generate significant benefits for the environment and form part of the renewable infrastructure and security of supply that the country so vitally needs if we’re to achieve net zero and the government’s target of 70GW of solar by 2035.

“South Staffordshire Council declared a Climate Emergency in 2019 and developed an action plan that includes encouraging renewable sources of energy supply.

“The project is fully aligned with those plans, while actively contributing to the UK’s energy transition and net zero target.”