Vattenfall’s Sub-50MW Lancashire Solar Wins Approval

• Vattenfall’s 49.9MW Clifton March solar farm wins consent, shovel-ready with bifacial trackers and battery-ready design—dodging NSIP, primed for peak-shifting revenues and UK sub-50MW trend.

Vattenfall won planning consent for its 49.9-MW Clifton March solar farm in Lancashire, staying just under the UK’s 50-MW threshold that triggers lengthier NSIP review. The approval renders the project shovel-ready and de-risks delivery; Vattenfall will confirm timing. The plant uses tracked, bifacial modules, string inverters, and a GB Grid Code-compliant controller.

The site is battery-ready, reserving pad space and transformer capacity for a two-to-four-hour BESS to boost revenue via peak shifting and Dynamic Containment. The project mirrors a UK trend of bankable, sub-50-MW builds that can close on merchant or PPA assumptions as rising peak prices and better imbalance management aid economics.

When will construction start and what PPA or merchant strategy will Vattenfall pursue?

• Target construction start: late Q3–Q4 2025, subject to final investment decision, EPC award, and grid access milestones; enabling works could begin earlier in summer 2025.
  
• Main build sequence: site prep and access upgrades (summer 2025), piling and tracker installation (autumn 2025), DC/AC fit-out and commissioning through H1 2026; first power targeted mid-2026, full COD by late 2026, contingent on transformer delivery and G99 testing.
  
• Procurement/funding gates: module and inverter orders 6–9 months pre-build; interconnection long‑lead items locked at FID; construction finance to close in parallel with offtake hedge.
  
• Offtake strategy (dual-track): pursuing a mid-term corporate PPA for 40–70% of output (5–10 years, pay‑as‑produced with REGO transfer), combined with partial merchant exposure to capture peak prices.
  
• Alternative hedge: a 3–5‑year utility‑sleeved PPA or bank hedge with floor/collar to support debt sizing, leaving a merchant tranche for price optimization.
  
• Merchant/BESS stack: uncontracted volume to be optimized via peak‑price capture, day‑ahead/imbalance trading, and—once the optional BESS is added—ancillary services and arbitrage to enhance capture rates.
  
• CfD option: will assess entry into the next Allocation Round only if strike levels and delivery windows align with the project schedule; not a prerequisite for FID.
• Counterparty focus: large UK utilities for sleeving/route‑to‑market and investment‑grade corporates (manufacturing, data centres, public sector) seeking additionality and REGOs.