ENGIE, a leading energy and services provider, has secured full planning approval from North East Lincolnshire Council for its renewable energy park development on land fronting the A180, close to Immingham.

Referred to as the North East Lincolnshire (NEL) Energy Park, the consented scheme would occupy some 47 hectares of medium grade farmland and comprise of 30MW of solar PV panels and 20MW of containerised battery storage.

Matthew Hayes, Senior Business Development Manager for ENGIE UK & Ireland, said: “We are delighted to secure full planning consent for the NEL Energy Park phase 1, another important milestone in the project. Never has there been a more imperative need to tackle climate change. We need to accelerate the transition towards a net zero economy. This energy park has capacity to significantly reduce carbon emissions and support the council’s climate emergency action plan.”

Cllr John Fenty, Cabinet member for business and regeneration at North East Lincolnshire Council, commented: “North East Lincolnshire is at the heart of the UK’s green industrial revolution. We’re already an area already renowned for its fuels production and offshore wind industry, and to have this solar park here is another strand to the ever-growing bow.
“Projects like this choosing our patch just shows how we can work with the private sector to make locating here an easy choice.”

The zero carbon generation could displace around 165,500 tonnes in CO2 from other more polluting forms of power generation over its 30 year lifespan. The solar panels would generate enough renewable energy to power the equivalent annual energy needs of 9000 homes.
NEL Energy Park will support the Humber in its ambitions as the ‘Energy Estuary’ whilst complementing the South Humber Industrial Investment Programme (SHIIP).

ENGIE has a decade long regeneration partnership with North East Lincolnshire Council, providing engineering and architectural design, highways and transport, facilities management, planning and building control and energy management services among others.
ENGIE’s renewables division operates separately to the local authority’s regeneration partnership and the Grimsby headquartered Engie Fabricom engineering business.