CHEPSTOW is a step closer to running its own solar farm on council-owned land after the Welsh Government approved a £4.5 million repayable investment.
Once completed, the Oak Grove Solar Farm in Crick could generate enough electricity to power around 1,400 homes. It will also save over 2,000 tonnes per year of CO2e by generating clean, renewable energy.
The £4.5 million funding has been awarded to Monmouthshire County Council through the Welsh Government’s Invest to Save Green Growth Fund. The fund aims to support public services to become more energy efficient and invest in green technologies.
The solar farm project will generate income from the sale of the electricity, which will be used to repay the investment from the Welsh Government, maintain the solar farm, support local community projects, and leave the council with a net income.
The Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths said: “Wales has huge potential to develop projects which generate electricity for the benefit of Wales.
“Through our Green Growth Wales initiative, we are supporting the development of public sector energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. I am delighted we have been able to support the delivery of the project and also provide finance to support Monmouthshire’s ambitions to run its own solar farm. This project has huge potential and I would like to see more local authorities developing renewable energy projects.”
The repayments to the Invest to Save Green Growth fund will be used to then invest in further energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.
Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Mark Drakeford said: “I’m very pleased to see the fund has played such an important part in bringing the project to this stage. Once completed, I hope the solar farm becomes a model of sustainability and encourages other local authorities to follow suit.”
Councillor Phil Hobson, Monmouthshire County Council’s cabinet member for sustainability said: “The solar farm means Monmouthshire takes another big step towards its goal of being a sustainable, green-power county. We’ve managed to do what was previously thought impossible: have a solar power station of grazing land and still keep the same agricultural land accessible for grazing animals. We’ve balanced the need for clean home-produced energy and food production at the same time."