Harworth Powers on With Major Renewable Energy Expansion

Harworth Estates, the UK property regeneration company owned by Harworth Group plc, has expanded its portfolio of renewable energy projects, with four further schemes now operating and four others in the pipeline.

The renewable energy projects comprise six solar and two wind farms in Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Leicestershire and Northumberland, which between them will generate sufficient energy to power around 22,000 homes. Four of the farms are now generating power, two are under construction and two have obtained planning consent and are awaiting construction.

The four schemes that became operational in the fourth quarter of 2015 are:

• a 7.4MW solar farm, of which 2.4MW is community owned, at the former Arkwright surface mine, close to Duckmanton, in Derbyshire. Harworth developed the farm in partnership with Conergy. Its opening follows that in February 2015 of a 500KW wind turbine on an adjacent site, which was developed in partnership with Energy Prospects Co-operative
• a 5MW solar farm, developed in partnership with Conergy, at the former Thorne Colliery in Doncaster, South Yorkshire
• a 3.6MW solar farm at the former Coton Park Colliery in south Derbyshire. Harworth developed the farm in partnership with Green Energy Networks; it is now owned by Armstrong Energy
• a 500KW single wind turbine, developed in partnership with Infinite Sirius, at the former “Lounge” colliery near Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire

The two schemes under construction are:

• a 4.6MW solar farm, being developed in partnership with Anesco, at the former Oxcroft Disposal Point in north east Derbyshire• the 18.5MW North Steads Wind farm, being developed in partnership with Infinis Energy, on the site of a restored, former open cast coal mine near Widdrington Village, Northumberland. It neighbours the 18.MW Sisters Wind Farm also being constructed by Infinis

The two schemes with planning consent, both being developed in partnership with First Renewable, are:

• two 5MW solar farms at the former Asfordby Colliery, near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire
• a 5MW solar farm at the former Kellingley Colliery in North Yorkshire

Hannah Moxon, Estates Surveyor in Harworth’s Natural Resources team, said: “The eight projects reinforce our expertise at regenerating redundant land for renewable energy use in partnership with trusted partners. We will be bringing forward a number of other low-carbon schemes across our landholdings in 2016 as part of our commitment to renewable energy”.

Harworth’s Natural Resources team is dedicated to developing low-carbon energy developments and has developed a series of renewable energy schemes on its land in partnership with a number of leading energy companies. The company’s portfolio currently includes five operational wind schemes and seven operational solar farms. It has a pipeline of projects with the potential to deliver a total of 120MW of power from its low-carbon energy schemes – enough to power nearly 40,000 family homes.