UK approves new huge solar farm between Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire to power 200,000 homes
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has given the green light to the construction of Britain’s second largest solar farm, to be built on the border between Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (Desnz) confirmed on Tuesday that One World Solar Farm has received planning approval to proceed with development on land adjacent to the River Trent near the village of South Clifton.
This significant clean energy project is designed to generate up to 740 megawatts (MW) of electricity, enough to power approximately 200,000 homes (roughly half of Lincolnshire’s households).
The approval follows the government’s decision in April to support the 800MW Springwell Solar Farm in North Kesteven, Lincolnshire, which will be the UK’s largest.
The announcement also comes just a week after ministers approved two other major solar projects: Pear Tree Hill in East Yorkshire and Dean Moor in West Cumbria.
Since July 2024, the government has approved 30 nationally significant clean energy projects that it says will collectively power more than 19 million homes across the country.
Labor came into office promising to decarbonise the country’s electricity grid by 2030 to reduce bills, improve energy security and tackle climate change.
Ministers have recently doubled down on those ambitions after the US-Israeli war in Iran increased fossil fuel costs this year and further exposed the UK’s exposure to volatile global markets.
Mr Miliband said: “The only way we can have energy security is if we take a pro-growth approach to building more clean energy in Britain.
“That’s exactly what this Government has been doing for two years.”
The government highlighted that solar energy has become one of the cheapest forms of energy available to the country; The recent increase in their availability has helped to increase the proportion of energy based on renewable energy sources in the UK.
Official data published last month shows 2025 is the strongest year on record for solar deployment, with 269,000 installations completed across the UK.
Last week the Government also confirmed that planning reforms that will remove mandatory pre-application consultation requirements for major infrastructure projects will come into force later this month.
Ministers say this will cut the planning process by up to a year and potentially save the industry £1bn this Parliament.
