The old landfill site at Stanground, to the south of Peterborough (between the A1139 Fletton Parkway, Stanham Way and the A605), was formally closed in 1992.
The site is owned and maintained by Cambridgeshire County Council. Ownership remained with the Council when Peterborough City Council became a unitary authority, independent of Cambridgeshire in 1998. Closed landfills were regarded as environmental liabilities.
As a closed landfill site, it currently has very limited options for use but has been identified as a potential site for a clean energy project. It is well placed in terms of topography, access to the electricity distribution grid and proximity to potential customers for electricity.
Planning permission has been granted for a small-scale solar farm (2.7MW) plus a battery energy storage system. The development will cover an area of around 8 hectares, marked as the pink area on the plan. Electricity would be used to charge a battery energy storage system on site. The stored energy would then supply into the electricity grid and/or supply to large local businesses. The battery storage acts as a sponge to absorb and store the electricity generated. It would then supply it back to the grid when demand outstrips generation.
There is a need to move away from fossil fuels to support our response to the climate emergency and move towards becoming carbon neutral. The proposed system could generate nearly 2.9 million kWh of renewable electricity each year. This would help reduce carbon emissions from UK electricity generation. It would provide electricity storage capacity which will help support a more resilient network. This would help to provide stable and energy balancing services by matching production with demand.
Developing energy projects can have wider benefits in addition to generating renewable energy. The natural environment is equally as important. This is highlighted in our Climate Change and Environment Strategy. Appropriate investment in biodiversity and nature is also being incorporated into our projects.
