Barnsdale Solar & Battery Storage

What is this project?

Barnsdale Solar is a new and exciting renewable energy project proposal situated just outside of Leeds between Kippax and Allerton Bywater with an installed capacity of up to 40MW, which would generate enough electricity to cover the annual electrical consumption of approximately 12,000 homes each year. This is enough to power every household in Kippax and Methley, along with half the houses in Garforth and Swillington. Limited grid infrastructure will be required as the solar farm will utilise the existing Ledston Primary substation. The project will also include a battery storage facility which will enable us to store energy generated from the sun and deliver it to homes when they need it most.

Having completed the necessary technical assessments and studies to inform the planning application, the planning application was submitted to Leeds City Council in November 2020 and was then recommended for approval by officers. Planning consent was granted for the solar scheme in October 2021. Our second application for the BESS (Battery Energy Storage System) was submitted to Leeds City Council May 2023. We are hopeful that the council will again recommend this for approval in the coming months. We are currently identifying contractors and suppliers to build the solar farm. Further details on it’s construction is expected later this year.

The land used for the solar farm creates a safe place where nature and wildlife can flourish. The ground beneath the solar panels can allow the creation of a wildflower meadow and increased planting in hedgerows and field boundaries can bring both landscape and wildlife benefits. We are keen to ensure a net gain in biodiversity on the site to ensure a benefit to wildlife, linking with the adjacent nature reserve and supporting and enhancing the Leeds Habitat Network along the Sheffield Beck running through the site. The specific enhancements will be decided using the results of our ecological surveys and liaison with the Council and other relevant organisations

BESS Co-location

An extensive review of land within Leeds identified the Barnsdale BESS as the best potential site for a battery project. The Barnsdale Solar Park planning approval established the principle of renewable energy infrastructure in the area. In addition, the BESS compound itself is situated within the Barnsdale Solar Park area, meaning no further green belt land will be taken out of use for the development.

Another key reason for the Barnsdale BESS project being considered the most suitable site for a battery project is because of the co-locational benefits available; it allows for grid infrastructure to be shared, more efficient use of land whilst also flattening the intermittent nature of solar electricity by allowing for excess solar energy to be stored until it is needed by the grid, helping keep consumer costs down.

Barnsdale site – what could it look like?

It’s very important for us to let you know what the proposed development could look like. We have designed the Barnsdale site to ensure that the residential amenity of local residents is disturbed as little as possible. Some of the images on rotation below show what the Barnsdale site would look like from the footpath between Kippax Meadows and southern boundary, from completion, to a projection of 10 years on, as well as what the Barnsdale site could like from Park Lane with a visualisation of the battery storage facility on its own and also a visualisation of the battery storage facility and solar. Click here to see an artistic impression of the proposed site.