About Larport Solar Farm
Larport Solar Farm is a 45MW project in Herefordshire, UK. It was the first solar PV project developed by Conrad Energy. Ethical Power was selected as the principal contractor to deliver the full-wrap EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) services, as well as O&M (Operations and Maintenance) services once the park is energised.
The output from the solar farm will be supplied under a 15-year cPPA (Corporate Power Purchase Agreement) deal to BNP Paribas as part of their sustainability strategy to self-supply with renewable energy.
The roughly 44,000 MWh of green energy produced by Larport Solar Farm will cut CO2 emissions by around 9,432 tonnes each year.
The site spans 120 acres and is comprised of over 77,000 modules. Flood mitigation efforts resulted in the installation of more than 11km of drainage on site.
A proportion is also dedicated to biodiversity enhancements, including bird and bat boxes, badger gates and new wildflower meadows.
Project timeline
Community engagement
The project was developed in consultation with the local parish council and the local community.
Conrad Energy and Ethical Power continue to involve the local residents and stakeholders in various stages of the project.
Representatives of Ethical Power and Conrad Energy attended a local school event to talk about Larport Solar Farm and how it will benefit future generations at the local school’s anniversary event. This also resulted in 26 KW of solar panels and two batteries being installed at the school to help them reduce their energy bills.
An EV charging station was also installed locally to help facilitate the uptake of electric vehicles.
Sustainability at Larport Solar Farm
Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is a crucial part of this project.
Significant land enhancements were included in the development of the site, including:
- Introducing bat and bird boxes around the site. This has led to a family of kestrels, who have amber conservation status in the UK, nesting in one of the new bird boxes.
- Planting and maintaining approximately 8km of new native hedgerow species such as hawthorn, hazel, blackthorn and field maple.
- Planting of around 400 trees with species such as field maple, crab apple, and wild cherry.
- Creating a wildflower meadow habitat where bees and pollinator species can thrive.
While solar panels have been installed on around 40% of the total site acreage, only 5% of the land has been disturbed thanks to the application of a C-shaped type of mounting structure.
Black Poplars at Larport Solar Farm
Another major part of our biodiversity commitments has been the planting of five pairs of black poplars, which are the most endangered native timber trees in the UK.
There are estimated only to be around 7,000 of these trees left in the wild, with only 120 left in Herefordshire. With the help of DNA testing from the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust, we were able to source 10 local-variant black poplars, in a mix of male and female designed to help them cross-pollinate.
These were then planted with the help of volunteers from the off-taker BNP Paribas.
Image courtesy of Conrad Energy