ESM Power were chosen as the main contractor to connect a 27MW solar farm to the grid.
Scottow Moor Solar Ltd is a company that was specifically created to develop the solar farms including this one near Norwich. They have extensive experience in renewable energy projects in the UK and overseas.
The site
Using the former RAF base of Coltishall, Norfolk County Council’s vision was to use the land to its full potential, generating income, creating jobs and protecting the site’s heritage assets. After deciding that a solar farm was the best use of the land, applications were approved and the first phase started in February 2015.
Our work
ESM Power Ltd were chosen as one of the main contractors to help realise the potential of generating enough clean energy to power around 12,000 homes and saving 20,000 tonnes of CO2 each year. Our first phase was completed within a very tight deadline and included:
¨ Designing and installing both the DNO and customer 33kV substations and switchboards
¨ Civil and electrical designs
¨ Procurement, installation and commissioning of all equipment
¨ Connecting 27MW of solar generation to the grid network
Phase two
After the successful first phase, we began phase two which included all of the ICP work and a 33kV DNO connection. We also added a further 20MW to the grid connection as well as four new circuit breakers and two switches. The four customer substations had three 500kVA transformers and another 200kVA transformer added.
ESM Power worked with several contractors as well as using our own resources to complete the work and saw us responsible for the LV changeover as well as all commissioning, cable installations, terminations, and excavations.
The site also presented challenges we had to overcome, including contamination from asbestos and obstructions underground from existing services.
We were delighted to work on this major clean energy project. The scheme involved an imaginative design solution to enable the connection of five separate 5MVA solar parks to the same point.
