Solar Power Projects Face Archaeological Hurdles in Race to Meet 2030 Green Targets

British solar developers are grappling with costly archaeological requirements that threaten to impede the nation’s ambitious renewable energy targets. The government’s push for 45-47 gigawatts of solar power by 2030 is encountering unexpected obstacles in the form of mandatory archaeological assessments.

The scale of these investigations is substantial, with developers being required to excavate up to 5% of proposed sites through trial trenching. Low Carbon’s Gate Burton Energy Park project in Lincolnshire exemplifies these challenges, where 777 trenches were mandated, each measuring 50 metres by 2 metres, resulting in a £1 million expense and six-month delay.

Industry leaders are questioning the proportionality of these requirements. Chris Hewett, chief executive of Solar Energy UK, highlights the inconsistent application of archaeological assessments across different local authorities. The financial burden is particularly concerning when trenching is demanded prior to planning consent, creating significant risk for developers who must either compensate farmers for crop damage or face seasonal delays.

The technical impact of solar installations on archaeological preservation is relatively minimal. Solar panels typically require only thin metal poles for mounting, displacing merely 0.06% of the land area in worst-case scenarios. Ironically, traditional farming practices like ploughing pose a greater threat to buried artefacts than solar infrastructure.

Archaeological authorities maintain their position, with John Lawson, chair of the UK Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers, emphasising the need for site-specific assessments. However, the industry is advocating for a more balanced approach, suggesting that non-invasive geophysical surveys could provide adequate preliminary screening.

As the 2030 deadline approaches, the solar industry is engaged in discussions with archaeological groups to establish more practical guidelines. The government acknowledges the need for proportionate assessment procedures, but concrete policy changes remain pending. Time pressure is mounting, with industry representatives stressing that current delays threaten the achievement of crucial decarbonisation targets.