Greenhead Energy Park

Greenhead Energy Park is a solar farm co-located with a battery energy storage system (BESS).

The solar farm will provide low carbon electricity to the UK grid and the battery storage system will carefully balance its supply to ensure it can most effectively match peaks and troughs in demand of electricity throughout the day.

The site is comprised of two land parcels, the first is located northwest of the village of Chopwell, the second is located southwest / west of the villages of Coalburns and Greenside. The two parcels are separated by Lead Road.

The site was chosen because of its proximity to the available grid connection at Coalburns substation. The site also avoids key environmental designations (landscape, heritage and ecology) and is also located outside of Flood Zones 2 and 3.

Solar panels will provide a 49.9MW export capacity, equivalent to the annual electricity usage of 18,800 homes or 21% of all homes in the jurisdiction of Gateshead.

The agricultural land classification is Grade 4 and 5 across the site; therefore not classified as ‘Best and Most Versatile’. Any effects on land use would also be temporary and reversible at the end of the project life cycle and during the operational period some agricultural activities will continue in the form of sheep grazing.

Exagen have now submitted a full planning application for Greenhead Energy Park to Gateshead Council. Any representations or comments on the application from interested parties should be submitted directly to the council using the online form under the ‘Comments’ section on the application or in writing (letter or email) to Gateshead Council, Civic Centre, Regent Terrace, Gateshead NE8 1HH or planning@gateshead.gov.uk quoting the application reference number DC/24/00429/FUL. Link to Application

You can still continue to direct questions to the project team by emailing greenheadenergypark@exagen.co.uk or using the contact form below.

Latest updates

  1. 9 Jul 25

    Project Approved Pending Conditions

    Gateshead Council granted consent to the 49.9MW solar farm and 26MW battery storage at Greenhead Energy Park subject to a Section 106 agreement.

     

    We are currently reviewing documents ready to issue and will provide further updates when available.

  2. 11 Feb 25

    Additional Information Submitted to Council

    We have prepared some amended documentation and completed some additional work in response to consultee and public comments received within the first round of consultation by the Council on the planning application. We have submitted this to Gateshead Council who will now carry out another round of publicity and consultation to gather both public and consultee views on the amended/additional information.

    Any representations or comments on the planning application from interested parties should be submitted directly to the council using the online form under the ‘Comments’ section on the application, or in writing (letter or email) to Gateshead Council, Civic Centre, Regent Terrace, Gateshead NE8 1HH or  planning@gateshead.gov.uk quoting the application reference number DC/24/00429/FUL.

  3. 12 Jun 24

    Planning Application Submitted

    Exagen have now submitted a full planning application for Greenhead Energy Park to Gateshead Council. Any representations or comments on the application from interested parties should be submitted directly to the council using the online form under the ‘Comments’ section on the application or in writing (letter or email) to Gateshead Council, Civic Centre, Regent Terrace, Gateshead NE8 1HH or planning@gateshead.gov.uk quoting the application reference number DC/24/00429/FUL.

    Link to Application

  4. 1 Feb 24

    Project Update February 2024

    Following public consultation, meetings, environmental surveys and assessment the project area now covers approximately 154 acres, this is greatly reduced from the initial 230 acres available for development presented at the beginning of public consultation in Summer 2023.

    Updates to the project in recent months include:

    Amended access junctions on both the southern and northern parcel to ensure better visibility splays.

    Removal of the majority of the northernmost field near Rockverne Cottages (Kyo Hall). The solar panel coverage of this field has been reduced from 27 acres to 4.5 acres and dedicated skylark conservation areas have been included instead.

     

    The BESS compound and substation has been moved to the least-visual part of the field, maximising existing vegetation and topographic screening, and as far from residential properties as possible, whilst still being close to the point of connection at Coalburns substation.

     

    Increased buffers from Lead Road, Currock Hill and from properties and existing treelines.

     

    Sustainable drainage methods will be implemented onsite to ensure that the development does not increase the risk of flooding. These methods include the planting of woodland, grasslands, and wildflower meadows, as well as the installation of a detention basin near the battery and substation compound.

     

    Dedicated bird habitat plots including skylark conservation area  included within plans for the northern parcel.

Benefits

Solar

49MW

Solar: 49MW export capacity equivalent to the annual electricity usage of 18,800 homes

Battery Storage

26MW

Battery: 26MW one discharge is equivalent to the daily electricity usage of 3,200 homes

Hexagon shape

Meet the team

  • Adam Tomkins Project Manager

  • Becca Leake Environmental Planning Manager

  • Sam Warne Community Engagement Manager

  • Andrew Mott Head of Planning and Environment

Webinar / Consultation material

Contact

Your feedback is very important to us. Please feel free to contact us here, quoting the name of the project you are referring to and one of our project team will get back to you as soon as possible.

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