The Rise of UK Solar NSIPs: A Bright Future Ahead

2025 has seen a significant increase in large-scale solar projects applying for and gaining approval as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) in the UK. This trend has been largely driven by the desire to speed up renewable energy deployment and achieve net-zero targets. These larger projects that bypass Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) and go straight for ministerial approval alongside all other solar planning submissions have led to a rapidly expanding solar pipeline and record submission rates. 

NSIPs have an important advantage over other solar applications as they can avoid lengthy local planning processes by seeking approval at a ministerial level allowing for faster deployment of solar projects. 

Although this surge in growth is welcomed because it contributes to our energy independence and climate goals there are still many challenges that need to be dealt with including a high refusal rate for large-scale projects, the need for more trained staff at the LPA level and ongoing issues with the overall speed of the planning and grid connection processes. 

In this year alone, almost half of the capacity decided in March was refused (400MW) with similar numbers seen in June and July. There are 50 projects currently, totalling 2.4GWp, in the appeal process. The refusal rate for capacity at LPA level continues to rise annually with almost one third of capacity refused this year which is a worrying trend.

It is vital that we find ways to overcome these challenges for many reasons. Solar power boosts the UK’s energy independence and reduces the nation’s reliance on imported fuels. The expansion of renewable energy sources like solar helps the UK meet its clean power targets and combat the climate crisis. The solar sector also offers a significant economic opportunity not only by supporting industrial growth but through the creation of numerous jobs. 

The UK planning system has been weighed down by the sheer number of solar applications in recent months. July had the highest capacity submitted in history, topping over 3GWp, a huge number. There have only ever been two other months that have surpassed 2GWp before, June 2025 and December 2024. 

These numbers have been helped by the huge number of large-scale projects entering planning, with 10 nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs) entering the planning system in England, and three Energy Consents Unit (ECU) projects being submitted in Scotland. In fact, 2025 has almost surpassed all previous years in the first 8 months. The government has approved a substantial amount of solar NSIPs this year. 

The most notable of these include Tween Bridge Solar Farm, Beacon Fen Solar Farm, and the largest, Great North Road Solar Farm, which together total over 2GWp.

Recent grid reform has had an impact on the speed at which decisions have been made. Decisions were made on over 80 projects by Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) in May, June, and July, totalling 4.2GWp whereas previously there had been a distinct lack of urgency.

Utility and power firm EDF and developer PS Renewables have announced early-stage plans for a major new solar project with battery storage in Kent. If approved, the proposed South Brooks Solar Farm will connect to the UK electricity grid at the Dungeness substation. Both EDF Renewables and PS Renewables have stated that the solar farm will have a capacity over 50MW and for this reason will be required to go through the UK government’s planning application process for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). Neither firm has revealed the exact capacity of the solar farm or the co-located battery energy storage system (BESS). If the project goes ahead, the solar farm will generate enough clean energy to power more than 140,000 homes, saving around 225,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year. 

The developers must conduct several rounds of community consultation for the project as part of the pre-application stages of applying for a development consent order (DCO). This process will run from the 18th of September until the 30th of October 2025 in the towns of New Romney, Littlestone, Lydd, and Camber. Local feedback both online and at in-person events, alongside environmental surveys and technical assessments, will help develop the final design. In-person consultation events will give residents the opportunity to review the plans, meet the project team, and provide feedback. The project plans will then be refined and presented to the community again next year for further consultation. 

Matthew Boulton, Director of Solar, Storage and Private Wire at EDF Power Solutions UK, said: 

“We’re pleased to introduce South Brooks Solar Farm which has the potential to produce much needed low-carbon electricity here in the UK, helping to power thousands of homes and businesses every year. Consultation is a vital part of our design process, and we encourage everyone to get involved in our upcoming consultation and comment on our plans.”

Matt Hazell, Co-owner and Director at PS Renewables, added: 

“Our company was established to make a meaningful contribution towards mitigating climate change and we now have numerous renewable energy projects in development, under construction or operating across the UK. We are excited to work with the local community to make use of the existing capacity at Dungeness, making sure we can deliver a scheme which provides substantial benefits for the environment and the local area.”

The South Brooks Solar Farm project clearly shows a broader UK trend toward hybrid solar-plus-storage assets that can help stabilise local grids as well as speed up progress toward national decarbonisation goals. If the plans go ahead, the solar farm will add significant clean capacity in the southeast and contribute to regional resilience as electrification, data-centre demand and heat-related peaks grow. 

This is not the first time that EDF Renewables has worked alongside PS Renewables on solar NSIP proposals. Last year the two companies opened a second consultation for another solar-plus-storage development, the Rosefield Solar Farm which is set to be located between Buckinghamshire and Aylesbury. Although the exact capacity is not yet known, EDF Renewables and PS Renewables did reveal that it has secured a grid connection agreement with National Grid allowing for the export of up to 500MW of electricity.

In March of this year, PS Renewables had proposals for a 740MW solar PV power plant accepted for examination by the Planning Inspectorate. This project, the One Earth Solar Farm, located in Nottinghamshire is a joint project with Orsted. It stands to be one of the biggest commercial solar PV power plants in the UK, if it is accepted for a DCO. The developers are targeting a commercial operation date before 2030. 

The UK solar sector is in a great position. There is opportunity for both greenfield development and project construction with grid connection reform coming into effect soon, the pipeline growing at a rate of knots and the mergers and acquisitions market booming.

Now that the challenges with grid connection are being addressed, decisions on projects can finally be made, so the next step is to work out how we build these projects and find out whether we have the resources. 

UK solar is in a fantastic position. With grid connection reform coming into effect imminently, the pipeline growing at a rate of knots, and the mergers and acquisitions market booming, there is opportunity for both greenfield development and project construction.