Project Overview

The Cottam Solar Farm project is a 600 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project, along with a 600 MW battery energy storage system. It is located in West Lindsey, England, UK. Developed by the Island Green Power (IGP), it is identified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) under the Planning Act 2008.

Upon completion (expected by August 2027), the Cottam Solar Farm will become the largest solar farm project in the United Kingdom. It spans across four sites, namely,

• Cottam 1

• Cottam 2

• Cottam 3a

• Cottam 3b

It covers approximately 1,270 hectares (3,048 acres) of predominantly arable land in West Lindsey. All four sites connect underground to the National Grid 400kV substation at Cottam, the existing grid infrastructure asset from the former Cottam coal power station, which ceased generation in 2019.

The project is described as subsidy-free: Island Green Power intends to finance it through institutional and infrastructure capital without government subsidy, relying on merchant electricity revenue and grid services income.

Cottam Solar Farm Project Location

The Cottam Solar Farm is located in West Lindsey, on the border between Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, England. It spans across four separate solar‑array sites near the villages of Cottam, Treswell, South Leverton, and Willingham-by-Stow.

The site was chosen for its proximity to the 400kV grid connection that served Cottam Power Station. It can handle the solar project's full export capacity without requiring new transmission infrastructure.

Cottam Solar Farm Map

Four Solar Array Sites

Technical Specification

Project Background

The Cottam Solar Farm project was identified by the Island Green Power (IGP) and began its feasibility studies and site assessments in 2021. IGP was established in 2013 as a specialist developer of utility-scale solar and battery storage projects.

Consultations with local communities and statutory bodies began in 2022, with a formal statutory consultation held that year before the DCO application was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate on 12 January 2023.

The application was accepted for examination on 9 February 2023, and a six-month examination was held between September 2023 and March 2024. The Examining Authority found that the public benefits of the project exceeded its adverse impacts and recommended consent to the Secretary of State on 5 June 2024. On 5 September 2024, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero granted the Development Consent Order.

Stakeholder Details

Cottam Solar Farm Current Status

As of May 2026, the Cottam Solar Farm project is in the pre-construction phase and has received full planning consent. Construction was expected to start in March 2026, with full completion targeted for August 2027.

The project is valued at 500 million pounds. Island Green Power is advancing procurement of solar modules, BESS units, and EPC contractor services. The project has not yet publicly announced an EPC contractor, financial close, or offtake agreement as of the date of this profile.

Cottam Solar Farm Cost Details

Project Scope

The following is the project scope of the Cottam Solar Farm:

• Construct 600 MW BESS: Construct and commission a co‑located 600 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) to support grid stability and store surplus solar generation.
  

• Reuse existing Cottam Substation: Re‑use the existing 400 kV Cottam substation infrastructure as the main grid‑connection point, reducing new grid‑build requirements.
  

• Aligns with UK grid code: Design and install all solar arrays, inverters, transformers, cabling, metering, and control systems in line with UK grid code and health‑and‑safety standards.
  

• Environmental measures: The project incorporates measures to enhance environmental conditions and biodiversity, including habitat creation, hedgerows, and ground covers compatible with agricultural land.

Project Timeline

Benefits

The following are the benefits of the Cottam Solar Farm project:

• Reduces grid connection delays: The brownfield grid connection is one of the project's most commercially significant assets, thereby reducing costs and grid connection delays.
  

• Maximizes dispatch flexibility: The 600 MW BESS component matches the solar generation capacity, providing a high storage-to-solar ratio and increasing dispatch flexibility.
  

• Turns standard coal into renewable energy: The reuse of the former Cottam coal power station's 400kV National Grid substation transforms a stranded coal infrastructure asset into a renewable energy gateway, bypasses multi-year grid connection queues, and directly repowers the same grid connection with clean energy that carried Cottam's coal-fired electricity for decades.
  

• Boosts national energy security: The project incorporates up to 600 MW of new solar generation capacity, boosting energy security and reducing dependence on imported fuel.
  

• Affordable power supply: Provides electricity to around 180,000 homes, contributing to a more stable, affordable power supply when fully operational.

Conclusion

The Cottam Solar Farm project is a transformative project for the United Kingdom, converting a former coal-fired power station site in Nottinghamshire into a 600 MW solar powerhouse capable of generating clean electricity for approximately 180,000 homes annually.

It reinforces the UK’s energy security amidst rising demand from data centers and electrification. As one of the largest solar farms in the UK, it sets a replicable model for scaling renewables on legacy industrial sites, aligning with net-zero targets by 2050 and paving the way for future hybrid integrations, such as battery storage.

The biodiversity net gain of 77 percent for habitat units committed in the DCO sets a new benchmark for the ecological credentials of large-scale solar projects in England. The project's environmental masterplan, incorporating compensatory wetland and bird-nesting habitat, diverse grassland types, and development-free ecological buffer zones, demonstrates that utility-scale solar and meaningful biodiversity enhancement can be delivered simultaneously on the same site.

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