European Energy breaks ground on Great House Solar Farm

European Energy has officially commenced construction on Great House Solar Farm, located 4km southeast of Abergavenny in South Wales. Spanning approximately 70 hectares, the solar farm is set to generate 32MW of clean electricity and marks European Energy’s fifth active project in the UK, bringing its total build capacity to approximately 200MWp.
Alongside energy generation, Great House Solar Farm addresses the climate emergency declared by Monmouthshire County Council in 2019. The council has been actively working to reduce carbon emissions through initiatives to EVS, solar PV and engaging local communities in sustainability efforts.
Construction is already underway. Phase one involves site preparation works, including the installation of access roads, fencing, substations, and power lines. Following that, foundations will be laid and mounting frames assembled. Phase three will see electrical systems and PV modules connected before phase four’s grid connection and testing. The final phase involves finalising landscaping and restoring the site.
Biodiversity and community collaboration
In addition to its renewable energy goals, Great House Solar Farm has been designed with environmental sustainability in mind. European Energy has incorporated plans to enhance biodiversity on-site, creating new habitats to support local wildlife.
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Community involvement has been a key aspect of the project. European Energy has made it clear it welcomes input from local residents to refine its biodiversity plans, with the ultimate aim of ensuring the farm becomes a harmonious part of the local environment.
The UK government has been mulling whether to make community benefits a legal obligation for renewable energy developers. As a key part of its Plan For Change, the government is consulting on whether to create a legal mandate to give, for example, local people the opportunity to decide where investment is most needed.
The mandate would set minimum community benefit fund amounts based on infrastructure project scale, starting at tens of thousands a year on the for smaller projects and increasing into the millions for larger-scale developments.