Bluestone gains approval for 49.5-MW Scottish solar park project today

• Bluestone Energy won planning consent for a 49.5-MW solar park in Scotland, its largest project to date, with conditions on ecology and grid design.

Bluestone Energy has secured planning permission for a 49.5-MW solar park in Scotland—its biggest scheme so far—marking a meaningful step for utility-scale PV in a country better known for onshore wind. The consent follows months of surveys and community consultation and comes with conditions typical for large countryside sites: ecological buffers, construction traffic management, and a landscape plan to soften views from nearby roads and paths.

Technically, the project will lean on contemporary utility-scale design—single-axis trackers and high-efficiency modules—to squeeze strong annual yield from Scotland’s shoulder-season light. A glint-and-glare assessment shaped panel orientations near sensitive receptors, while drainage plans specify swales and attenuation ponds to keep run-off in check during heavy rain. On the grid side, Bluestone has mapped a short connection to a nearby substation, limiting new overhead infrastructure and helping the scheme slot into the queue without major reinforcement.

Planning documents highlight a biodiversity management plan that trades intensive arable use for species-rich grassland under and around the arrays—good for pollinators and ground-nesting birds—and a commitment to avoid herbicides except for targeted control of invasives. The developer will also fund habitat monitoring to track outcomes over the project’s life.

Commercially, the timing looks favourable. With wholesale markets valuing daytime power and corporate buyers seeking long-dated price certainty, Scottish PV is coming of age alongside wind and storage. Bluestone says it is assessing a co-located battery to shift mid-afternoon generation into the early evening peak and to provide fast-frequency response—capabilities that improve bankability and cut curtailment risk as more renewables connect.

Before shovels hit the ground, Bluestone must discharge remaining conditions and finalise procurement for long-lead items—transformers, protection gear and grid-forming inverter packages. If the schedule holds, the 49.5-MW park could be delivering local, low-carbon power within the next construction season, adding a new solar landmark to Scotland’s clean-energy map.