The development of a new South Yorkshire solar energy and battery storage project has reached its latest landmark with the start of construction work on the site.
Leading renewables developer OnPath Energy is building the Common Farm Solar Park close to the Todwick Road Industrial Estate in Dinnington, which will be able to generate enough green electricity to meet the average annual requirements of up to 18,800 family homes.
Work on the construction of the project is now ongoing, with significant progress being made on piling, cable trenching, access roads & fencing for the solar farm, and foundations and drainage laid in preparation for the BESS components, and is on schedule to be complete by mid-2027.
Infrastructure consultancy AECOM is acting as lead consultant for the project, with OnPath bringing in specialist engineering contractor Grupotec to deliver the required design, engineering, procurement and construction work.
Grupotec will also carry out operational maintenance and management work for the first two years after green electricity generation begins at the Common Farm Solar Park, which is OnPath Energy’s first co-located solar and battery technologies site.
Its detailed ecology and biodiversity strategy will deliver a net benefit in biodiversity to the local community, with new species-rich grassland already planted across the site’s entire 116 hectares to create an extensive new wildflower meadow.
Local consultation work is continuing around how the annual community benefits package of around £50,000, which could equate to around £2,000,000 through the project’s lifetime, can best be used to build community value by supporting local community and environmental priorities.
Chris Gallagher, managing quantity surveyor at OnPath Energy, says: 'This project will further enhance OnPath’s contribution by generating homegrown energy, reducing the UK’s dependence on imported fossil fuels and strengthening the UK’s energy security while delivering a wide range of direct environmental, economic and community benefits to the local area.
'Grupotec’s technical expertise and renewables capability will be vital in the successful delivery of the scheme and we are very pleased to have them on board.'
Grupotec is a multidisciplinary engineering and EPC firm specialising in renewable energy, and has extensive experience of delivering solar energy projects in the UK and around the world.
Javier Vela, commercial and contracting director at Grupotec, adds: 'We are pleased to contribute all our technical expertise and integrated capabilities across the entire value chain to the Common Farm Solar Park project.
'This is both a professional challenge and a responsibility that we embrace with pride, as we continue to further contribute to the United Kingdom’s sustainable development goals.
'In parallel with project execution, Grupotec remains deeply committed to sustainability - ensuring not only a positive environmental impact but also meaningful benefits for local communities.'
Full details of the Common Farm Solar Park can be found at www.onpathenergy.com/common-farm
Source: OnPath Energy
