Energising the UK’s First Transmission-Connected Solar Farm

Photo credit: Alexander Parkyn-Smith

The UK’s first solar farm to connect to a transmission network instead of a distribution network has been energised by the National Grid in the beginning of May 2023. Larks Green is located in Bristol and is connected to Iron Acton substation through a Wilson Power Solutions transformer.

The 49.9MWp Solar Photovoltaics farm (152,400 solar modules) is co-located with a 49.5MW/99MWh Battery Energy Storage System and was connected to the grid using a 140MVA Wilson Power Transformer.

We supplied a Continuous Maximum Rating 140/110MVA 132/33-33kV power transformer that weighs nearly 150 tonnes. In addition, a 300kVA 33kV/415V auxiliary transformer was installed on site. Our site team installed the transformer, fitted the cooling bank, fans, conservator, bushings, filled the transformer with the coolant and undertook marshalling, cabling and testing over the course of a few weeks.

The project is expected to generate over 73,000MWh annually, enough to power over 17,000 family homes annually with electricity. Moreover, the site will displace 20,500 tones of CO2 annually. The site’s 106 hectares of land will achieve biodiversity net gain of 25% through the strengthening 9.9km of hedgerow and 9 hectares of new wildflower planting.

The project was developed by Enos Energy & Cero Generation. You can watch a timelapse of the transformer installation here.