Solar farm opposite rubbish dump will deliver clean energy

COMPANIES from New York and Singapore will deliver “cheap, clean renewable energy” across the road from the rubbish dump north of Dunfermline.

AMPYR Energy UK Development Ltd’s proposals for a solar farm on 46 hectares of land opposite the Lochhead landfill site were approved last week by Fife Council.

It’s a joint venture between Singapore-based AGP Group and New York-based Hartree Partners and will see 75,000 panels erected on three fields, creating enough electricity to power 7,000 homes.

At the west and central planning committee, lead planning officer Martin McGroarty said: “The reason why we’re seeing these applications for solar farms is that there’s a great need for them.

“They’ve proved to be less contentious than other renewable forms of energy in relation to getting through the planning process.

“This is the second large solar farm I’ve dealt with and the second that has attracted no objections or representations, which is kind of unthinkable when you think of some of the large windfarm applications we’ve had.”

The farm will have a maximum solar export capacity of 49.9 mega watts (MW) and will send electricity for the national grid. The panels will generate up to 29.9MW and the battery energy storage system capacity will be up to 20MW.

The proposals include underground cabling, a maintenance building, substation, security perimeter fencing, CCTV, an access track, drainage pond and landscaping.

The land was formerly an opencast coal mine and is currently used for grazing, which can continue when the solar farm is in operation. The panels will be separated from the road by a 10-metre pipeline exclusion zone.

Mr McGroarty explained that both Scottish Gas Networks and Ineos had “high pressure pipelines” running immediately to the south of Drumtuthill Road.

The applicant is Dunfermline Solar Ltd, of Victoria Street in London, the same address as AMPYR Energy. It is a global developer and operator of renewable energy assets with offices in London, Delhi, Singapore and Sydney.

Asked by councillors if there would be sufficient funds to restore the land if the company went bankrupt or abandoned the site after the 30-year permission expired, Mr McGroarty replied: “Modern solar farms are pretty light-touch on the environment.

“Yes, there’s lots of panels and mounting structures but compared to a large windfarm with huge swathes of concrete hardstanding, it’s nowhere near the same ballpark in terms of the cost to actually remove, replace and restore. There is also an inherent value in the panels themselves. People aren’t just going to walk away from that if there’s value there.”

He added: “Over the next 20-30 years, I think we’ll see solar farms will be required and they will be used. At this time, the risk that they will be abandoned is low.”