Low Carbon Starts Work on 1 GW Dengie Peninsula Solar and Storage Proposals in Essex, UK

The Dengie Peninsula Energy Park, if taken forward, will be dealt with under the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) regime rather than through ordinary local planning channels.

Planning Regime Puts Decision With Secretary of State

Because the proposed generating capacity exceeds 100 MW, Low Carbon must apply to the Planning Inspectorate for a Development Consent Order (DCO), with the final decision resting with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Miatta Fahnbulleh, rather than with local authorities. That regulatory route now sits at the centre of a development process the UK renewable energy company has only just begun.

Low Carbon has confirmed it is developing proposals for a solar and energy storage project on land near the villages of Bradwell-on-Sea, Dengie and Burnham-on-Crouch in Essex, with a potential capacity of 1 GW.

What the 1 GW Scheme Could Deliver

At that scale, the project could generate enough clean electricity each year to power the equivalent of more than 250,000 UK homes, while avoiding up to 265,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually. Alongside the infrastructure needed to export electricity to the grid, the proposals include environmental mitigation and areas for biodiversity enhancement, to be shaped by constraints and opportunities identified through ongoing assessments.

Consultation Programme Ahead of DCO Application

Before any application reaches the Planning Inspectorate, Low Carbon intends to spend the coming months engaging with the local community, landowners, local authorities and statutory consultees on the emerging plans.

A wider public consultation is planned for early 2027, giving local stakeholders a further opportunity to review the proposals and comment. Feedback gathered through both rounds of engagement will inform the project design and the Environmental Impact Assessment as the scheme evolves.

Ed Perrin, Project Development Director at Low Carbon, said the project has the potential to play an important role in delivering the clean, secure and affordable power the UK needs, combining large-scale renewable electricity generation with energy storage to support a more resilient and flexible power system.

He added that the company is still at an early stage and is committed to engaging openly with local communities, businesses and stakeholders throughout the process. Listening to local views and gathering feedback, he said, will be essential in helping the company understand community priorities and refine its proposals as they evolve.

Environment-Led Design Commitment

Low Carbon says the scheme will follow an environment-led design approach, responding to its surrounding environment and to local communities. Environmental surveys, technical assessments and input from local communities and other stakeholders will all feed into the design and the Environmental Impact Assessment.

With proposals at an early stage, the next milestones are the upcoming stakeholder engagement over the coming months and the wider public consultation in early 2027, ahead of any future DCO application to the Planning Inspectorate.