Grange Energy Park

Island Green Power is developing proposals for a renewable energy project on land at Grange Farm near Stallingborough, North East Lincolnshire.

The proposals consist of up to 50MW of solar energy generation and up to 500MW of battery storage to store energy for when it is most needed.

As part of the planning process, we are consulting the local community and local politicians to hear their thoughts and ideas on the proposals.

Following the public events we held in March, our proposals were revised and were presented to local residents at a drop-in event in July.

If you have any comments on our revised proposals – which can be found by clicking here – please submit them by following this link.

About us

Island Green Power

Island Green Power is a leading developer of renewable energy projects. Established in 2013, we specialise in the development of utility-scale solar projects and battery energy storage systems with operations across the UK as well as in Spain, Italy, Australia and New Zealand.

Our mission is to help the UK increase our solar energy usage, making more renewable energy possible whilst drastically reducing our carbon emissions. Our projects aim to make substantial contributions to the country’s net-zero targets, while ensuring a secure, reliable and affordable energy supply.

The Opportunity

Grange Energy Park could:

Generate enough clean energy to power about 16,300 homes.
Save approximately 20,500 tonnes of carbon emissions, the equivalent of taking 4,400 large family cars off the roads every year.
Support national targets to have a fully decarbonised electricity system by 2035.
Support the national target to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050.
Support North East Lincolnshire Council’s target to become the “UK capital of the renewable energy industry”. ¹ nelincs.gov.uk/keeping-our-area-clean-and-safe/climate-change/renewables
Deliver significant local and community benefits.

The Project

Grange Energy Park

The site at Grange Farm is located between Stallingborough and Keelby. The emerging proposals are for:

Up to 50MW of electricity produced by solar panels. The preferred area for the solar farm is 328 acres of land to the northwest of Riby Road and southeast of Keelby Road.
Up to 500MW of energy storage in batteries. Two options for the energy storage are currently being considered. Option A: BESS North on 20 acres of land close to Little London and Option B: BESS South on 26 acres on land close to the Stallingborough Grange Hotel.

Solar Storage

The availability of a grid connection is an important consideration for all renewable energy projects such as this one. Grange Energy Park has a grid connection at Grimsby West substation, 3.5km to the east. It is therefore able to export all the electricity it generates to this substation where it can then be fed into the national grid.

The site has been chosen because it is available and relatively flat.

To inform the planning application we will be undertaking a number of detailed technical assessments. These assessments will include:

Landscape and visual impact
Traffic
Ecology and biodiversity
Heritage and archaeology
Glint and glare
Flood risk
Noise

Consultation

Public consultation events

We consulted on our proposals and held drop-in events in Stallingborough – at the Stallingborough Grange Hotel and Stallingborough Village Hall on 13 and 14 March, and a further event on 25 July at the Stallingborough Grange Hotel.

In all, nearly 100 people attended the events, and we’d like to thank everyone who came along to find out more and meet with the project team.

As a result of the feedback received at the events, from Stallingborough Parish Council and from residents, we revisited our proposals and made changes to them. The most significant changes are the relocation of the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and HV compound and moving the proposed development further south.

We presented the revised proposals to local residents in July. You can see the July exhibition boards here.

You can also submit your comments on the revised proposals by following this link.

Whilst our consultation closed on Monday 12 August, we are happy to receive and consider comments up to the submission of the planning application, which will likely be before the end of the year.

In the meantime, if you have any questions about the project, please contact us via phone or email.

Timeline

Project timeline

2024 Q1

Early engagement to introduce ourselves and receive feedback on our emerging proposals to help identify and understand any local impacts and opportunities.

2024 Q2

Environmental studies and technical assessments to inform our plans.

2024 Q3

Following consultation and the completion of environmental studies and technical assessments, a planning application will be submitted to North East Lincolnshire Council for determination.

2024+

Grange Energy Park would take 12-18 months to construct and, subject to planning consent being granted, could be generating electricity by 2034.

Document library

This library will be updated as the proposals develop and throughout the consultation process. The material presented on our emerging proposals will be available to download from 25 July 2024.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

: Island Green Power is developing proposals for a new solar and energy storage project on land at Grange Farm near Stallingborough, North East Lincolnshire.
: The site at Grange Farm is approximately 540 acres. The emerging proposals for Grange Energy Park consist of up to 50MW of electricity produced by solar panels and up to 500MW of electricity stored in batteries.
: Battery energy storage systems are housed in specialised units used to optimise efficiency, performance and longevity. They come in a variety of sizes and configurations to accommodate different power capacity needs.
: The land is Grade 3 agricultural land. On the land that is not used for solar or energy storage, farming will continue. The land under the solar panels can also be used for sheep grazing. On decommissioning Grange Energy Park in 30 to 40 years’ time, the land can revert to its previous agricultural use.
: It is not anticipated that the project will have a direct impact on local footpaths.
: There is a clear need for renewable, affordable and reliable energy in the UK. Our commitments to grid decarbonisation (by 2035) and Net Zero by 2050 also mean that we need to increase our supply of low carbon electricity.

Developing large-scale renewable energy projects, such as solar and energy storage, will help keep the lights on at a low cost to consumers.
: Typically, a utility scale infrastructure project can take anywhere between 5 to 8 years to develop and construct. This is because obtaining planning permission and other approvals as well as the procurement of all the equipment required for construction can take a long time. Also, the project will require works to the wider electricity network which will not go ahead until all the necessary permissions are in place. It is therefore important to ensure that everything is in place well before the connection date.

Subject to planning, financing and other factors we would be aiming for 2034 for the site to enter operation. The land will continue to be farmed until construction starts (likely to be 2032/2033).
: As well as generating clean energy that supports national and regional targets, and improving energy resilience, the project will also provide biodiversity enhancements. We look forward to hearing from stakeholders and the local community about other potential opportunities the project could bring to the local area.
: Solar panels are made primarily from glass, aluminium, and silicon. The wires that connect the panels are copper and there are small amounts of silver and solder used within the panel to connect the individual cells together.

To date, the need for the recycling of solar panels has been limited due to their long life span. When solar panels are recycled at the end of life, over 90% of the panel’s individual components can be recovered for re-use.
: Fixed solar panels are mounted on an aluminium frame which is bolted to steel posts that are either driven or screwed into the ground. In some cases depending on ground conditions, the steel posts may be fixed to concrete bases which sit on top of the ground.

Solar tracker panels are mounted on a special system using hydraulics or motors to enable the panel to track the sun.
: The UK Food Security Report (2021) found that “the biggest medium to long term risk to the UK’s domestic production comes from climate change and other environmental pressures such as soil degradation, water quality and biodiversity”.

Solar farms currently account for 0.08% of total land use in the UK (Solar Energy UK 2022). The Government targets for a fivefold increase in solar would result in 0.3% of the UK land area being used by solar (Carbon Brief, 2022). This is the equivalent to around half of the space used by golf courses.
: Large-scale battery installation in the UK must comply with health and safety regulations, both for installation and operation. They typically use Lithium-Ion Batteries, which are the same type of batteries as are used safely in mobile phones, laptops and electric vehicles every day all over the world.
: Island Green is headquartered in London, operates in the UK and internationally. The company is 50% owned by Macquarie through a fund specifically set up for renewable energy projects, and the remaining 50% is owned by privately owned by shareholders. Details about the founders and our board of directors are published on this website – https://www.islandgp.com/our-people.
: Our UK business currently employs almost 40 people, along with a large number of specialist consultants and contractors, in areas such as engineering and the environment.

Have your say

You can let us know what you think of the emerging proposals for Grange Energy Park by:

Emailing contact@grange-energy-park.co.uk
Phoning 01469 420832
Writing to Freepost GRASSHOPPER CONSULT (no stamp or further address required)

*These contact details will put you in touch with Grasshopper Communications who are managing the consultation on behalf of Island Green Power.