The Sunnica Energy Farm Order 2024

2.  In the Districts of West Suffolk and East Cambridgeshire in the Counties of Cambridgeshire and Suffolk a nationally significant infrastructure project as defined in sections 14 and 15 of the 2008 Act and associated development under section 115(1)(b) of the 2008 Act.

The nationally significant infrastructure project comprises up to one generating station with a gross electrical output capacity of over 50 megawatts comprising all or any of the work numbers in this Schedule or any part of any work number in this Schedule—

Work No. 1— a ground mounted solar photovoltaic generating station with a gross electrical output capacity of over 50 megawatts including—

(a) Work No. 1A— works on the East A Site comprising—

(i) solar modules;

(ii) solar stations;

(iii) electrical cables including electrical cables connecting to Work No. 3A;

(iv) monitoring and control systems housed within a control room building or container; and

(v) weather stations and direct current (DC) electrical boxes,

(b) Work No. 1B— works on the East B Site comprising—

(i) solar modules;

(ii) solar stations;

(iii) electrical cables including electrical cables connecting to Work No. 3B;

(iv) monitoring and control systems housed within a control room building or container; and

(v) weather stations and DC electrical boxes, and

(c) Work No. 1C— works on the West A Site comprising—

(i) solar modules;

(ii) solar stations;

(iii) electrical cables including electrical cables connecting to Work No. 3C;

(iv) monitoring and control systems housed within a control room building or container; and

(v) weather stations and DC electrical boxes.

and associated development within the meaning of section 115(2) of the 2008 Act including—

Work No. 2— an energy storage facility of up to 500 megawatts of power at the point of grid connection including—

(a) Work No. 2A— a battery energy storage compound on the East A Site comprising—

(i) battery energy storage cells;

(ii) a structure protecting the battery energy storage cells comprised in Work No. 2A(i) and ancillary equipment, being either one container or multiple containers joined to each other, mounted on a reinforced concrete foundation slab or concrete piling;

(iii) heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) or liquid cooling systems either housed within the containers comprised in Work No. 2A(ii), attached to the side or top of each of the containers, or located separate from but near to each of the containers;

(iv) battery stations;

(v) monitoring and control systems housed within a container with the HVAC or liquid cooling systems in Work No. 2A(iii) or located separately in its own container or control room;

(vi) electrical cables including electrical cables connecting to Work No. 3A;

(vii) fire safety infrastructure comprising fire suppression system; and

(viii) a water storage structure for the purposes of firefighting comprising fire water tanks and fire water containment.

(b) Work No. 2B— a battery energy storage compound on the East B Site comprising—

(i) battery energy storage cells;

(ii) a structure protecting the battery energy storage cells comprised in Work No. 2B(i) and ancillary equipment, being either one container or multiple containers joined to each other, mounted on a reinforced concrete foundation slab or concrete piling;

(iii) heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) or liquid cooling systems either housed within the containers comprised in Work No. 2B(ii), attached to the side or top of each of the containers, or located separate from but near to each of the containers;

(iv) battery stations;

(v) monitoring and control systems housed within a container with the HVAC or liquid cooling systems in Work No. 2B(iii) or located separately in its own container or control room;

(vi) electrical cables including electrical cables connecting to Work No. 3B;

(vii) fire safety infrastructure comprising fire suppression system; and

(viii) a water storage structure for the purposes of firefighting comprising fire water tanks and fire water containment.

(c) Work No. 2C— a battery energy storage compound on the West A Site comprising—

(i) battery energy storage cells;

(ii) a structure protecting the battery energy storage cells comprised in Work No. 2C(i) and ancillary equipment, being either one container or multiple containers joined to each other, mounted on a reinforced concrete foundation slab or concrete piling;

(iii) heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) or liquid cooling systems either housed within the containers comprised in Work No. 2C(ii), attached to the side or top of each of the containers, or located separate from but near to each of the containers;

(iv) battery stations;

(v) monitoring and control systems housed within a container with the HVAC or liquid cooling systems in Work No. 2C(iii) or located separately in its own container or control room;

(vi) electrical cables including electrical cables connecting to Work No. 3C;

(vii) fire safety infrastructure comprising fire suppression system; and

(viii) a water storage structure for the purposes of firefighting comprising fire water tanks and fire water containment.

Work No. 3— onsite substations including—

(a) Work No. 3A— works on the East A Site comprising—

(i) substation;

(ii) control building or container;

(iii) welfare facilities;

(iv) hardstanding areas; and

(v) electrical cables including electrical cables connecting to Work Nos. 1A, 2A and 4;

(b) Work No. 3B— works on the East B Site comprising—

(i) substation;

(ii) shunt reactor;

(iii) control building or container;

(iv) welfare facilities;

(v) hardstanding areas; and

(vi) electrical cables including electrical cables connecting to Work Nos. 1B, 2B and 4; and

(c) Work No. 3C— works on the West A Site comprising—

(i) substation;

(ii) control building or container;

(iii) welfare facilities;

(iv) hardstanding and parking areas; and

(v) electrical cables including electrical cables connecting to Work Nos. 1C, 2C and 4.

Work No. 4— works to lay electrical cables and temporary construction laydown areas for the electrical cables including—

(a) electrical cables connecting Work No. 3A to Work No. 3B;

(b) electrical cables connecting Work No. 3B to Work No. 3C;

(c) electrical cables connecting Work No. 3C to the existing substation; and

(d) up to 15 temporary construction laydown areas comprising—

(i) areas of hardstanding, compacted ground or track matting;

(ii) car parking;

(iii) area to store materials and equipment;

(iv) site and welfare offices and workshops;

(v) security infrastructure, including cameras, perimeter fencing and lighting;

(vi) safety infrastructure to warn and manage traffic when crossing roads or other obstacles;

(vii) site drainage and waste management infrastructure (including sewerage); and

(viii) electricity, water, waste water and telecommunications connections.

Work No. 5— Not Used.

Work No. 6— works to create, enhance and maintain green infrastructure, including—

(a) Work No. 6A— works on the East A Site comprising—

(i) soft landscaping including planting;

(ii) landscape and biodiversity enhancement measures;

(iii) earth works;

(iv) permissive paths;

(v) hard standing and hard landscaping;

(vi) drainage and irrigation infrastructure and improvements or extensions to existing irrigation systems;

(vii) fencing, gates, boundary treatment and other means of enclosure; and

(viii) improvement, maintenance and use of existing private tracks;

(b) Work No. 6B—works on the East B Site comprising—

(i) soft landscaping including planting;

(ii) landscape and biodiversity enhancement measures;

(iii) earth works;

(iv) permissive paths;

(v) hard standing and hard landscaping;

(vi) drainage and irrigation infrastructure and improvements or extensions to existing irrigation systems;

(vii) fencing, gates, boundary treatment and other means of enclosure; and

(viii) improvement, maintenance and use of existing private tracks; and

(c) Work No. 6C— works on the West A Site comprising—

(i) soft landscaping including planting;

(ii) landscape and biodiversity enhancement measures;

(iii) earth works;

(iv) hard standing and hard landscaping;

(v) drainage and irrigation infrastructure and improvements or extensions to existing irrigation systems;

(vi) fencing, gates, boundary treatment and other means of enclosure; and

(vii) improvement, maintenance and use of existing private tracks.

Work No. 7— temporary construction laydown areas including—

(a) Work No. 7A— a temporary construction laydown area on the East Site A comprising—

(i) areas of hardstanding;

(ii) car parking;

(iii) site and welfare offices and workshops;

(iv) security infrastructure, including cameras, perimeter fencing and lighting;

(v) site drainage and waste management infrastructure (including sewerage); and

(vi) electricity, water, waste water and telecommunications connections;

(b) Work No. 7B— up to five temporary construction laydown areas on the East Site B comprising—

(i) areas of hardstanding;

(ii) car parking;

(iii) site and welfare offices and workshops;

(iv) security infrastructure, including cameras, perimeter fencing and lighting;

(v) site drainage and waste management infrastructure (including sewerage); and

(vi) electricity, water, waste water and telecommunications connections; and

(c) Work No. 7C— up to three temporary construction laydown areas on the West Site A comprising—

(i) areas of hardstanding;

(ii) car parking;

(iii) security infrastructure, including cameras, perimeter fencing and lighting;

(iv) site drainage and waste management infrastructure (including sewerage); and

(v) electricity, water, waste water and telecommunications connections.

Work No. 8— warehouse buildings and permanent compounds comprising—

(a) Work No. 8A— warehouse building and a permanent compound on the East Site A comprising—

(i) a warehouse building for the storage of spare parts and office and welfare facilities;

(ii) a canteen either located within the warehouse building within Work No. 8A(i) or in a separate container or building;

(iii) waste skips;

(iv) parking areas; and

(v) a permanent compound area; and

(b) Work No. 8B— warehouse building and a permanent compound area on the East Site B comprising—

(i) a warehouse building for the storage of spare parts and office and welfare facilities;

(ii) a canteen either located within the warehouse building within Work No. 8B(i) or in a separate container or building;

(iii) waste skips;

(iv) parking areas; and

(v) a permanent compound area.

Work No. 9— works to existing streets to facilitate access to Work Nos. 1 to 8.

Work No. 10— works to create and maintain stone curlew reserve.

In connection with and in addition to Work Nos. 1 to 10 further associated development comprising such other works or operations as may be necessary or expedient for the purposes of or in connection with the authorised development, and which are within the Order limits and fall within the scope of the work assessed by the environmental statement, including—

(a) works within highways, including—

(i) alteration of the layout of any street permanently or temporarily, including increasing or reducing the width of the carriageway of any street by increasing or reducing the width of any kerb, footway, cycleway, or verge within the street including removal of any vegetation; and altering the level or increasing the width of any such kerb, footway, cycleway or verge within the street including removal of any vegetation; and works for the strengthening, improvement, repair, maintenance or reconstruction of any street;

(ii) street works, including breaking up or opening a street, or any sewer, drain or tunnel under it, and tunnelling or boring under a street;

(iii) relocation, removal or provision of new road traffic signs, signals, street lighting, road restraints and carriageway lane markings;

(iv) works to place, alter, remove or maintain street furniture or apparatus (including statutory undertakers’ apparatus) in, under or above a street, including mains, sewers, drains, pipes, cables, cofferdams, lights, fencing and other boundary treatments; and

(v) works to facilitate traffic management and to deliver information relating to the authorised development; and

(b) other works and development including—

(i) works for the provision of fencing and security measures such as CCTV, columns, lighting and communication boxes;

(ii) laying down of internal access tracks, ramps, means of access, footpaths, roads and cycle routes;

(iii) bunds, embankments, trenching and swales;

(iv) boundary treatments, including means of enclosure;

(v) glint and glare boarding;

(vi) laying out and surfacing of permissive paths, including the laying and construction of drainage infrastructure, signage and information boards;

(vii) foundations for structures or buildings being piles driven into the ground, piles rammed into a pre-drilled hole, a pillar attaching to a steel ground screw, pillars fixed to a concrete foundation, or a pillar set in concrete in a pre-made hole in the ground (micro piled);

(viii) works to the existing irrigation system and works to alter the position and extent of such irrigation system;

(ix) electrical, gas, water, foul water drainage and telecommunications infrastructure connections and works to, and works to alter the position of, such services and utilities connections;

(x) works to alter the course of, or otherwise interfere with, non-navigable rivers, streams or watercourses;

(xi) surface water drainage systems, storm water attenuation systems including storage basins, oil water separators, including channelling and culverting and works to existing drainage systems;

(xii) site establishments and preparation works including site clearance (including vegetation removal, demolition of existing buildings and structures); earthworks (including soil stripping and storage and site levelling) and excavations; the alteration of the position of services and utilities; and works for the protection of buildings and land;

(xiii) tunnelling, boring and drilling works; and

(xiv) landscaping and mitigation works.