Electrical energy produced by a deliberate new photo voltaic farm close to Annan may very well be used to assist decommission close by Chapelcross.
That was the declare made throughout final week’s planning committee assembly, when Jockstown’s renewable scheme received the go-ahead.
The 37.9MW growth will include 75,796 south-facing, picture voltaic panels, put in in 2707 tables in 14 totally different fields. Sheep are nonetheless in a position to graze the land.
There are additionally 12 battery storage containers on website and a management room and substation, with energy carried to the close by Chapelcross substation through underground cables.
The photo voltaic farm will final for 40 years after which the realm will be returned to agricultural use.
The councilors of the committee heard a presentation from the applicant Matthew Bailey, a director of Inexperienced Vitality Worldwide.
Explaining why they selected the positioning, close to Creca, he stated: “The substation at Chapelcross is the magnet for the photo voltaic farm.
“The preliminary driving issue is often pushed by the provision of a grid or substation connection. On this case, there was an recognized want for energy on the Chapelcross substation to make it an choice for us to hook up with the grid. No you’ll be able to put a photo voltaic farm anyplace and assume a connection to the grid.
“That is why we checked out this explicit space. Then you need to get a landowner and you have got all of the ecological and environmental constraints.
“It is simply the very best working on this place.”
Mr Bailey additionally revealed that they’re in discussions with Magnox about straight supplying the previous nuclear energy.
He stated: “Subsequently, it grew to become clear that there are future plans to develop the Chapelcross website and Chapelcross itself via the decommissioning course of, in the event that they use extra energy. Maybe as an addition, we put a brief cable size to permit the decommissioning course of to make use of the electrical energy from the photo voltaic farm, however that’s not on this software.
The committee unanimously accredited the applying. Cllr Ian Howie stated: “There are events right here after we want air options and it is a sensible response to these circumstances.”
Cllr Ivor Hyslop added: “I feel it is a good factor for the realm.”
And Cllr Archie Dryburgh expressed the hope that it’ll have an effect on the way forward for Chapelcross, saying: “I hope it will kick-start the Chapelcross and Borderlands undertaking into the subsequent century and I’m delighted that it’s coming ahead.”
