Wales Technology Josh Morris

Plans to build a 345-acre solar farm, which could produce nearly 50MW of electricity on the Gwent levels, have been submitted to the Welsh Government.

If permission is granted, the solar farm would be split over six parcels of land and could power the equivalent of 15,000 homes for a projected 30 years.

The plot sits just south of the former Llanwern steelworks and is owned by nine landowners who would look to continue sheep grazing at the site.

In order to spread capacity into the night, the site would also incorporate a battery storage area.

The application has been prepared by Savills on behalf of Llanwern Community Energy.

The application states: "The renewable energy hub seeks to provide green energy for over 15,000 homes and save over 21,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum. It will enable a group of nine local landowners to diversify their agricultural enterprise and help secure their livelihood during uncertain times for farming communities.

"The land is of poor agricultural value and the scheme would provide an enhancement to the biodiversity of the area. Sheep would graze the site, which would maintain the agricultural use of the land.

"The incorporation of a battery storage area will allow for the energy captured during the day to be stored and re-used during times when energy is in greater demand and make the most of the energy generated by a renewable source as well as helping to make it a viable proposal at a time when subsidy has been removed.

"The site has some unique advantages. The first is the high irradiation which the site benefits from which will drive high levels of solar generation. The coastline in South Wales has a high solar irradiation and its location on a south facing coastline it benefits from secondary irradiation or “bounce” where light “bounces” off the sea up into the atmosphere and is then reflected down by particles in the air.

"The second is the capacity of the local electricity network to accommodate a substantial new generator. Elsewhere in the UK the electricity grid is under severe constraint and is rarely able to accommodate new large generators without substantial and costly upgrades to the network which then make the projects unviable.

"Llanwern and the area around it benefits from very large scale electricity transmission assets which have considerable spare capacity. These were in the main put in to serve the requirements of heavy industries which once existed along this coastline but are now no longer in operation."