The UKs leading solar energy generator, Lightsource Renewable Energy, has connected a new solar farm near Ramsgate, in Kent, to the national electricity grid this week. Thorne Solar Farm is capable of generating 6.1MWp (Megawatts-Peak) of clean, renewable electricity enough to power around 1,800 local homes.
Located to the south of Manston Airport, the solar farm is set across 27 acres. However, the panels and infrastructure will only occupy less than 30% of the total leased area ideal for the continued grazing of sheep. Demonstrating commitment towards responsible and sustainable land management, Lightsource has married a detailed biodiversity management plan alongside the traditional grazing of sheep. This ensures farming practices at Thorne Farm continue with the added benefit of increased biodiversity.
When creating the land management plan, the Lightsource in-house planning team designated the areas within the solar farm to be seeded with rich grass mix to benefit the grazing of sheep and the solar farm boundaries to become a haven for wildlife, with the sowing of wildflowers and installing bird and bat roosting boxes in surrounding trees. Various habitat enhancements like purpose-built log and rubble piles will provide new homes for hibernating reptiles and amphibians whilst an insect hotel and an area to house hibernating hedgehogs will also become new features for the solar farm.
Lightsource contracted specialist EPC company Biosar Aktor to construct and commission the solar farm. Whilst the operation and maintenance of the solar farm will be carried out by Biosar Aktor for the next 2 years, this will be supervised by Lightsources own in-house Operations and Maintenance Division who will carry on the operations once the 2 year contract is completed.
Kareen Boutonnat, Managing Director for Lightsource, comments: We are delighted to announce connection of Thorne Solar Farm as the newest addition to our operating portfolio of over 600MWp. Not only will the solar farm play a vital part in supplying locally generated green electricity, it will also have a positive effect on biodiversity.
As the UKs number one solar energy company, we have always set the standard high for the development of solar projects in the country. Our in-house team of over 320 full-time experts will oversee every aspect of the project from planning through to the long term care and maintenance of the solar farm. Managing the largest commercial scale solar PV portfolio in the UK comes with its own set of challenges, however we are the best at what we do; and this is demonstrated in our ability to continue deployment at scale and with speed.
