Construction of the ‘largest solar and battery storage facility in the UK’ has started.
Project Fortress is a 350MW solar power generation and battery storage plant being built on a nearly 900-acre site at Cleve Hill, near Faversham, in Kent.
The scheme, previously the Cleve Hill Solar Project, was granted development consent in May 2020 and was the first solar project to be awarded Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) status.
Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, the global investment manager behind the scheme, started construction after it won the highest government subsidy ever awarded for a solar energy project.
The firm announced in July last year it had secured a 15-year Contract for Difference (CfD) deal with the UK Government, in which it will be paid a fixed price for electricity generated.
Once operational, Project Fortress is forecast to generate enough renewable power each year to supply 100,000 UK homes and help reduce carbon emissions by 164,450 tonnes in its first year alone.
The scheme is set to complete and connect to the National Grid early next year.
At present there is capacity for 15GW in the UK, according to Solar Energy UK.
The government aims to deliver 70GW by 2035.
Quinbrook was approached for further comment.
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