Bluefield Wins Planning Consents For Four UK Solar And Storage

• Bluefield received planning approval for two solar farms and two BESS projects in the UK, advancing its co-location strategy.

UK renewables platform Bluefield has secured planning consent for four clean-energy projects: the 35-MW Water Hall Solar Farm in West Sussex; the Rookery Solar Farm in Huntingdonshire with 49.9 MW of PV; plus two battery-energy storage systems to be added at previously consented solar sites. The approvals reflect a planning environment that increasingly favors co-location to maximize grid value and minimize curtailment.

Why it matters: distribution networks across England are grappling with midday solar surpluses and evening tightness. Batteries sized for multi-hour shifting can absorb daytime output and sell into higher-value hours, while providing fast frequency response. Co-located designs share interconnection, cut round-trip losses versus standalone batteries, and give operators a single point of control.

For Bluefield, the consents unlock procurement on long-lead items—transformers, grid-forming inverters—and let EPCs sequence civil works with substation upgrades. For host communities, the projects bring construction jobs, biodiversity enhancements through managed grasslands and hedgerows, and long-term business-rates income for councils. Expect grid-code compliance (fault ride-through, reactive power) to be a focus as commissioning windows near.