Fury as Shell and Tesco carve up the entire output of UK’s largest solar site

Tesco has secured 65% of the solar power generation from Cleve Hill Solar Park, the largest solar and battery storage project ever constructed in the UK, with Shell acquiring the remaining 35%.

The site, which is due to become operational next year, will have a capacity of 373 megawatts, generated by 560,000 solar panels.

The fact that residents’ objections to the huge site were somewhat assuaged by claims that it could supply enough energy for 100,000 homes, explains why many now have a bitter taste in their mouths.

Shell have been responsible for 2.1% of global CO2 emissions since 1854.

Speaking to Kent Online, Marie King of the Graveney Rural Environment Action Team said: ‘The whole idea of it was that it was going to go towards powering homes not two very large businesses. They had an open day last month where we were able to go to the site and they did a presentation there and they were still talking about powering homes.

‘Well, clearly this deal has been in the making for some considerable time but they were telling us that it would into the nation grid. For them to sell to Shell, this proves that this is not a green development at all. From a local community perspective the feeling is anger.’

Tesco’s 15-year Power Purchase Agreement is the largest such agreement for solar power the UK has ever seen. It is expected that enough power will be generated to run 144 of Tesco’s largest stores.

Shell has signed a ten-year route to market agreement to manage the remaining 35% of the development’s solar generation.

Vicky Ellis, of the Kent branch of countryside charity CPRE was also furious: ‘This project was approved on the premise that it would power homes, not petrol stations and supermarkets.

‘The irony of a major supermarket such as Tesco and a prominent oil producer such as Shell buying into the green energy market to run their petrol stations and supermarkets is not lost on us.’