Island Green Power is developing proposals to build a new solar and energy storage project on land in Wiltshire, with associated infrastructure to connect it to the national grid.

The electricity generated by the proposed solar park would be exported via an underground cable connection into the existing national electricity transmission system at Melksham substation.

The project is anticipated as being able to deliver up to 500 megawatts (MW) of renewable electricity through ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV panels). This is enough clean, affordable electricity to power approximately 115,000 homes every year.

The way we consume energy is changing. The move towards renewables and the transition away from fossil fuels is an environmental and economic necessity. National electricity demand is increasing and expected to double by 2050. Increasing our solar energy capacity is therefore essential if the UK is to hit its target of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 while also meeting demand.  

Solar power is a clean, homegrown source of energy that gets power into the system and people’s homes faster than any other renewable technology. The Government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, published in 2024, sets out the target to more than treble solar power by 2030, equivalent to around 50 gigawatts (GW) of generation capacity.

Expected to deliver clean and affordable energy, the Project would contribute to the Government target to deliver a cheaper, zero-carbon electricity system by 2030 and accelerate to net zero. 

The amount of electricity Lime Down Solar Park could generate exceeds 50MW. It is therefore classed as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP). The development consenting regime for a NSIP comes under the Planning Act 2008. This means to get permission to build and operate the solar park we need to apply to the Planning Inspectorate for a Development Consent Order (DCO). We anticipate submitting our application to the Planning Inspectorate in Autumn 2025.