South Kent Energy Park

Low Carbon is developing proposals to build a new solar and energy storage park in Kent, along with the infrastructure needed to export the electricity it generates to the national grid.

The project is anticipated to have a generation capacity of up to 500 megawatts (MW). This is equivalent to providing enough clean energy to power more than 140,000* homes – approximately 20% of all households in Kent – every year. 

The UK Government has set ambitious targets to reach net zero by 2050. The Energy Strategy, published in 2023, sets out an aim to increase the UK's solar capacity five-fold by 2035 - equivalent to around 70 gigawatts (GW) of generation capacity. South Kent Energy Park will make a vital contribution to the 70 GW target, supporting our transition to a low-carbon and secure energy system.

As the amount of electricity generated by South Kent Energy Park is anticipated to exceed 50 MW, the project is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP). This means that we are required to submit an application for development consent to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS). We anticipate submitting our application at the end of 2026.

The Government, specifically the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, will decide whether to award consent. Subject to achieving consent, we anticipate construction would start in 2029.

* see FAQ section for further details.

Where we are now

To date, we have carried out initial environmental surveys at the project site; however, our proposals remain at an early stage in the development process and can, therefore, be shaped in collaboration with the community and stakeholders.

In delivering South Kent Energy Park, we want to ensure that communities living and working in the area have a chance to engage and influence the direction we take. Before progressing further with the project design, we are seeking your feedback on our initial proposals so that your comments can shape the project from the very start.

We are running a phase of early engagement with the community from 12 November to 20 December 2024. This period marks the first opportunity for you to comment on our proposal. We will re-engage with communities after reviewing your feedback from this phase of engagement and developing our proposals further.

On this website, you will find information about Low Carbon, our proposals for South Kent Energy Park, and how you can take part in this phase of engagement.

The deadline for responding to this phase of engagement is Friday 20 December 2024.