Inside the Mega-Solar Farm Plans at Anglesey

If you’ve been keeping your ear to the ground when it comes to renewable energy projects, then you’ve probably heard of the major project headed for Anglesey. Lightsource bp has laid out its plans to create a solar energy farm across three separate parts of Anglesey. If things go well, the project will expand to include a large battery storage unit.

That storage unit would be built on the former site of a major oil depot. This both literally and symbolically represents a growing shift away from fossil fuel toward more sustainable forms of energy. Still, that doesn’t mean this project is being hailed by locals.

Anglesey has already seen a few high-profile renewable energy projects. There are two massive solar development initiatives taking off across the region. One is a massive project is being built near Rhosgoch that will expand over 190 acres. The second is a 150-acre solar farm that will go up between Bryngwran and Caergeiliog.

Unsurprisingly, the project from Lightsource bp has started to draw attention from across the country. While most of it is positive and framed around conversations about solar energy and sustainable power sources, others are concerned with its vast scale. Let’s dig deeper into the plans for Lightsource bp’s mega-solar farm in Anglesey.

Boosting Renewable Energy Plans

The UK and solar energy aren’t a match made in heaven thanks to its cloudy skies—but the country has been emphasizing its renewable energy pushes over the last decade. Lightsource bp has stated that it plans to power over 130,000 homes across the UK with the planned Anglesey solar farms.

For a country that uses quite a bit of energy compared to its neighbors, that’s a huge coup. One of the latest causes for electricity concerns is the rise of eSports and other fully digital professions. Esports is big business in the UK, even if it was slower to come to the forefront than in other countries.

The same is true for other types of digital games. Even in the realm of non-competitive gaming, UK players heavily gravitate toward online and mobile titles. They rely on virtual platforms to do things like create a change in strategy for their favorite games, join in multiplayer titles with friends, and battle toward the next level.

But it requires quite a bit of electricity, from its infrastructure to actual competitive events. And with gaming only one tiny portion of the industries that run on electricity, the need to pursue solar farms and similar projects is obvious.

The Primary Concern: Scale

For the most part, concerns about the mega-solar farm headed to Anglesey have nothing to do with sustainability. Locals have no problem supporting greener forms of energy or preserving natural wonders. The issue, however, is with the project’s scale. When it’s said and done, the three sites will include solar panels covering over 2,000 acres of land.

This has drawn ire and concern from locals, including nuclear energy supporters. After all, who wants to see their lovely farmlands converted into leagues of silver panels? And, beyond the question of preserving natural wonders, shouldn’t the UK be focused on protecting some of its most arable land? Given the project is in its early stages, these doubts are being presented to government entities.

What Happens Next?

The proposed mega-solar farm is in its early stages. Engineers and executives from Lightsource bp are looking to cut ahead of competitors by helping push the UK to a net zero state. But the government must sign off on the Anglesey plans thanks to their vast scale. That means that locals (and other watchdog groups) still have time to make their concerns heard.

As mentioned up top, Anglesey is already home to a large solar farm development that spans over 190 acres. A separate project is underway that will cover 150 acres on another part of the island. These compounded factors may make the local push against the project much stronger—but it’s the UK government (not the local council or Welsh government) that will make the final decision sometime in the next year.