Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits as UK’s first wind-solar-storage project begins construction

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

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.

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

To read the full version of this story, visit PV Tech.

13 October 2026
London, UK
Now in its second edition, the Summit provides a dedicated platform for UK & Ireland’s BESS community to share practical insights on performance, degradation, safety, market design and optimisation strategies. As storage deployment accelerates towards 2030 targets, attendees gain the tools needed to enhance returns and operate resilient, efficient assets.

Read Next

August 5, 2026
Independent power producer (IPP) ContourGlobal has begun construction of its fourth large-scale solar PV and battery storage hybrid project in Chile.
August 5, 2026
July was a busy month for large-scale battery storage activity in the UK, with Engie commissioning a system, Masdar and Fidra hitting financial close on projects, Eku Energy buying one, project consents for Aura Power and Starlight Energy, and more.
Premium
July 31, 2026
We caught up with Peter Kavanagh, CEO of BESS developer Harmony Energy, after it was acquired by Switzerland-headquartered power group Alpiq. 
July 28, 2026
There can be great value in co-location, but the operational reality is not as simple as it may sound, writes Daniel Moore-Oats of Arenko.
July 28, 2026
UK-based BESS and EV charging firm Zenobē has entered the German market with the acquisition of Bavaria-headquartered BESS developer SDP Energie.