Global renewable energy company Ørsted has announced plans for a 320 megawatts (MW) solar farm in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

Kingfisher Solar Farm is proposed on land three miles north of the town of Beverley and east of the A164.

Residents are being invited to provide their feedback on the proposals during an early phase of non-statutory consultation across February and March 2025, including four local events.

If granted consent, Kingfisher is expected to be operational by the end of 2030 and provide clean energy for up to six decades.

It builds on the UK’s goal of generating 95% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and reducing the UK’s carbon emissions to net zero by 2050.

An initial, non-statutory consultation will run from Monday 3 February to Sunday 9 March 2025.

Randall Linfoot, Ørsted’s programme manager for Kingfisher, said: “Kingfisher Solar Farm will provide green energy for around 100,000 British households, making a significant contribution toward meeting the country’s ambitious plans to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

“We will also be delivering real benefits for the communities we are working in if the project is approved, including increasing wildlife and habitat areas around our solar array, and having a community benefit fund that will deliver lasting, tangible benefits for local people.

“We will be investing in local initiatives and engaging small and medium sized businesses in the area to see how they can secure work through our supply chain. Ørsted has been working in the Humber region for over a decade, with several offshore wind farms situated in the North Sea; we employ over 600 people in the Humber region already.

“We look forward to sharing more details on our proposals with local residents and businesses through this consultation. We are engaging with communities as early as possible to help us refine our plans for Kingfisher Solar Farm and ensure their views are heard, understood, and used to shape our plans where we can.”

Local residents, businesses and community groups can learn about Kingfisher and share their feedback online on the project website.

They are also invited to attend any of Kingfisher’s four public events taking place throughout the consultation period, where they can discuss their questions with the project team, which will help inform and develop the proposal for Kingfisher.

The events will be held at:

• Lockington Village Hall, Chapel Street, Lockington, Driffield YO25 9SN on 10 February, 3-8pm
• Hutton Cranswick WI Hall, Main Street, Hutton Cranswick, Driffield YO25 9QR, 12 February, 3-8pm.
• Cottingham Civic Hall, Market Green, Cottingham HU16 5QG, 28 February, 3-8pm.
• Beverley Memorial Hall, 73-75 Lairgate, Beverley HU17 8HN, 1 March 12-5pm.

Ørsted is proposing to use the same cable route as the UK Government consented Hornsea 4 Offshore Wind Farm - another Ørsted developed project - for Kingfisher.

This would connect to the national grid via an underground cable route to the Creyke Beck substation, situated south of Beverley and north of Cottingham.