ScottishPower kicks off construction of UK’s first hybrid solar-storage-wind site

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Construction of the hybrid solar-storage-wind site was kicked off by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson (pictured). Image: ScottishPower

Construction of a 10MW solar farm as part of the UK’s first hybrid solar PV, energy storage and wind site has officially begun.

The 10,000 PV panels being installed at the Carland Cross site in Cornwall in the south of England are to complement the existing 20MW wind farm and 1MW battery energy storage system. It marks the first time these technologies have been combined on such a scale, and forms part of a wider planned portfolio of hybrid sites by Iberdrola-owned ScottishPower.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

These plans to retrofit the UK utility’s wind farms with solar and storage were first announced in late 2019, following on from the company applying to build a 40MW solar farm with 10MW of battery storage in Scotland backed by a private wire connection with pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline.

Plans to install a 40MW solar farm and 50MW of battery storage on the site of its Whitelee wind farm – currently the UK’s largest onshore wind farm – are also underway, with these to support green hydrogen production.

The solar PV being installed at the Carland Cross site is expected to achieve its first export later this year, and is to be followed by two further solar farms at ScottishPower wind farms.

Keith Anderson, CEO of ScottishPower, said: “There’s no doubt we’re in a race against time and speed is of the essence, but with that comes tremendous opportunity and our message is clear – if you halve the time, we’ll double the investment – and that will bring significant and lasting change.” 

UK large-scale solar development is continuing to surge, with the pipeline of new ground-mounted sites reaching almost 17GW at the end of April 2021, with 800-900MW of new sites being identified every month according to Solar Media’s latest market research.

In March alone, Statkraft unveiled two new projects with a combined capacity of 84MWp to be developed in Cornwall and a third 41.5MWp project located in Suffolk which is to be paired with a 55MW battery, while Lightsource bp revealed it would use nearly £20 million of government funding to develop a solar-powered green hydrogen project at the South Wales Industrial Cluster and EDF acquired two 49.9MW projects.

Utility-scale solar deployment in the UK will be covered by Solar Media Market Research’s Utility Solar Summit UK event, taking place between 15 – 16 June 2021. For more information on this virtual conference, including on how to participate, click here.

24 March 2026
Lisbon, Portugal
Returning for its 14th edition, Large Scale Solar Europe is the essential meeting point for solar leaders across Europe. The event brings together developers, IPPs, investors, and policymakers to address critical challenges and accelerate solar’s pivotal role in achieving Europe’s Net Zero by 2050 goals.

Read Next

September 17, 2025
Nexamp has secured US$350 million through a long-term financing facility to expand its 6GW utility-scale solar and battery storage pipeline in the US. 
September 11, 2025
Solar power generation in Central Europe has grown at more than twice the EU average rate since 2019, according to new figures.
September 4, 2025
Fraunhofer ISE has completed testing work of grid-forming inverters currently available in the energy industry.
September 4, 2025
Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order to accelerate the permitting of energy generation projects that could be set to lose IRA support.
August 22, 2025
AEMO has predicted the NEM will see a steady rise in renewable energy generation capacity, reaching 229TWh by 2035.
Premium
August 18, 2025
Jonathan Touriño Jacobo explores evidence of systemic problems in the Iberian grid and some of the solutions following the blackout.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
San Francisco Bay Area, USA