UK renewable energy company and independent power producer Low Carbon has announced that it has begun developing proposals for Somerset Energy Park, a new solar project co-located with battery energy storage near the village of Mark in Somerset.

The announcement marks the first public step in what the company describes as an emerging design process for a large-scale clean energy development in the county.

The project has a potential capacity of 500 MW. Once built, Low Carbon states it will generate enough clean electricity each year to power the equivalent of more than 145,000 homes while avoiding around 150,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.

Five Development Areas Planned

The proposed scheme is organized into five development areas: Northern, Eastern, Southern, Western, and Central. These areas would accommodate solar panels, a battery energy storage system, and associated infrastructure, including inverters and substations.

Low Carbon says the proposed development will include significant environmental mitigation and areas for biodiversity enhancement, which will be designed in response to ongoing assessment work.

Grid Connection via Woolavington Substation

The proposals also include connection and access infrastructure required to link the energy park to the National Grid via the proposed Woolavington Substation. While the project remains at an early stage, Low Carbon has identified broad search areas for this infrastructure.

The connections are likely to include a mixture of overhead lines and underground cables, with the details to be refined as design and assessment work progresses.

Early Engagement with Local Stakeholders

Low Carbon has begun engaging with local stakeholders, including communities, landowners, local authorities and statutory consultees. The company says this engagement is intended to build an understanding of the local area as the emerging proposals take shape.

A wider public consultation is planned for early 2027, providing an opportunity for local communities and other interested parties to review the proposals and provide feedback.

Ed Perrin, Project Development Director at Low Carbon, said: "Somerset Energy Park represents an opportunity to deliver new, home-grown renewable energy while building greater flexibility into the energy system through battery storage.

"Nature and the environment are the starting point for our design, so that ecological enhancements are built in from the very beginning of the project.

"Our priority is to develop a site that responds carefully to its surroundings and listens to the local community as we help deliver the clean, secure energy the UK needs for the future."

Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project Status

Because the proposed development would have a generating capacity of more than 100 MW, it is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP). An application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate, with the consent determined by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Miatta Fahnbulleh.

Part of a Wider Pipeline of Energy Park Proposals

The Somerset Energy Park announcement follows Low Carbon's recent unveiling of early proposals for two other large-scale solar projects co-located with battery energy storage: West Oxfordshire Energy Park and Dengie Peninsula Energy Park. The company is positioning the Somerset scheme alongside these projects as part of its development activity as an independent power producer.

What Happens Next

At this stage, the proposals remain in their infancy, with broad search areas identified for grid connection infrastructure and environmental design work ongoing. Low Carbon has indicated that the design will continue to be refined through its assessment work, and local communities will have the chance to review and comment on the plans during the public consultation scheduled for early 2027.

Further details on the final configuration of the solar arrays, battery storage system, and connection infrastructure are expected to emerge as that process advances.

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