Mossmorran Solar Farm 

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

When: Thursday 10th July 2025, 3 pm to 6.30 pm.
Where: Maxwell Centre, 70 Stenhouse Street, Cowdenbeath, KY4 9DD.
Drop in at any time to find out more about the proposals, meet the team, ask questions and share your feedback.

SITE LOCATION

The proposed Mossmorran solar farm is located 1km south of Cowdenbeath, 2.2km east of Crossgates and 2km north of Aberdour. The majority of the site is located directly south of the Shell Fife Natural Gas Liquids Plant. Please see the site location map.

KEY FACTS

• Solar installed capacity: 100 MWac

• Battery Storage Capacity: 200 MW, so energy can be distributed when it is needed most.

• Electricity generated equivalent to the consumption of approximately 47,000 average homes

• Approximately 33,000 tonnes of CO2 saved each year

• Bifacial, fixed solar panels to maximise energy generation

• Grid connection secured nearby at Mossmorran Substation

• Construction expected to take approximately one year

• Construction Traffic Management Plan will be implemented to minimise disruption

• Time-limited development – at the end of the project’s 40-year life all infrastructure will be removed and the land restored

• Maximum solar panel height of 2.6m to allow for grazing underneath

LAND USE, LANDSCAPE & NATURE

• Continued agricultural use with sheep grazing

• Agricultural Land Classification survey shows that the site entirely avoids Prime Agricultural Land

• Substantial Biodiversity Net Gain with an appropriate native grass and wildflower mix sown around the panels

• Existing hedgerows and topography provide effective screening

• New hedgerows and trees will be added for more screening and biodiversity

• Total site area 159 hectares

• Panels cover 30% of the total site area, but less than 5% is disturbed by the actual footprint.

community benefits

• Community Benefit Fund managed locally of c£50,000 per year, index-linked, for the project lifetime.

• Separate Education Fund £5,000 a year, index-linked, to fund educational sessions and site visits to the solar farm with local schools. Read more.

• The project is expected to generate over £2 million total in local benefits for the 40-year lifetime of the solar farm.

WHY SOLAR?

Solar is a cornerstone of Scotland’s drive for energy security and lower energy bills. By harnessing a free and abundant local energy source, utility-scale solar farms reduce our reliance on imported fossil fuels, mitigating the risks of global price volatility and supply chain disruptions, particularly from hostile regimes.

Large-scale solar is now the cheapest form of new electricity generation in the UK, along with wind power.

Scotland has set ambitious renewable energy and climate targets to accelerate its transition to a net-zero future. It aims to achieve net zero by 2045, with at least 20 Gigawatts of additional low-cost renewable electricity capacity by 2030, the equivalent of about 50% of Scotland’s current total energy demand. Solar is a key part of that with a target of 4-6GW.

WHY HERE?

• Eden Renewables has secured a local connection to the electricity grid.

• The landscape is suitable for a solar farm as the topography and existing vegetation will help screen the project.

• Not within the designated Green Belt, National Scenic Area, Wild Land Area or Site of Special Scientific Interest.

• Compatible with nearby land uses including the Shell Fife NGL Plant.

• There are good levels of solar irradiation (sunlight) in this part of Scotland.

TECHNICAL REPORTS

We have been working on a number of detailed technical reports, which will be submitted with the planning application. They include:

• Detailed Site Layout and Planting Plan

• Planning Design & Access Statement

• Construction Traffic Management Plan

• Agricultural Land Classification Report

• Access Arrangement Drawings

• Landscape & Visual Appraisal

• Full Ecological Assessment

• Arboricultural Report

• Biodiversity Net Gain Strategy and Management Plan

• Flood Risk Assessment

• Heritage Desk-Based Assessment

• Glint & Glare Assessment

• Noise Assessment

• Battery Safety Management Plan