Seven in 10 Plymouth homes could be powered by huge solar farm
The City Council is lining up a series of new green schemes to reach its aim of becoming carbon net zero by 2030
The city council is set to confirm its aim of Plymouth becoming carbon net zero by 2030 as a series of new green schemes are lined up including a huge solar farm.
Councillors heard the authority is working with the Plymouth Energy Community on a feasibility study for the energy generation project.
If it goes ahead, it would be the biggest community-owned solar farm in the city and could provide power for up to seven in 10 homes.
The project is one of a series aimed at reducing carbon output from heat and power generation.
One scheme already under way in Plymouth is a district energy network to heat and cool buildings in the new Millbay Boulevard development, provided through underground pipes.
Plans are being developed to secure funding for other low-carbon district energy networks at Derriford, Barne Barton and the city centre.
Other schemes among 89 listed in the city’s Climate Emergency Action Plan 2021 include:
- Improving the energy efficiency of more than 300 homes using external funding
- Starting £96 million of sustainable transport initiatives with new walking and cycling facilities across the city
- Holding a hydrogen technology summit with partners including the Ministry of Defence, dockyard contractor Babcock and Citybus to develop the use of hydrogen as an alternative fuel to power larger vehicles
- Continuing to follow the strategy of reduce, reuse and recycle to deal with waste
- Working with the city’s youth parliament to design future actions to involve young people
Councillors on an overview and scrutiny committee endorsed the Climate Emergency Action Plan 2021 and Corporate Carbon Reduction Plan 2021, setting out 24 actions to reduce the emissions from city council activity, including more solar panels, 38 more electric vehicles, and a sustainable travel policy for councillors and staff including the use of electric-powered bicycles.
They also endorsed updating the Plymouth Plan, which sets out the long-term strategy of the city to 2034, with the 2030 net zero carbon target date. Previously the Plymouth Plan set a carbon neutral target of 2050, with emissions halved from the 2005 level by 2034.
The strategy document was reviewed to ensure it aligns with the council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan, which followed the authority’s declaration of a Climate Emergency in March 2019. The 2030 target date is among a series of 23 changes to ensure the Plymouth Plan reflects the council’s climate emergency policies.
The 2021 action plans and updates to the Plymouth Plan strategy document will go to a meeting of the full council on Monday, January 25, for final approval.
The city council’s Cabinet member for environment Sue Dann told the committee meeting on Wednesday that the authority had worked with the Plymouth Net Zero Partnership to develop initiatives for 2021.
Cllr Dann estimated that the total investment in projects for climate emergency action in the city 2021 would be around £38.2 million.
It was estimated that investment of £50 billion a year was needed nationally to achieve net zero, but the cost of inaction would be far greater to adapt to the effects of climate change, such as building flood defences and dealing with the health impacts, which often affected the most vulnerable in society.
"Our plans will ensure that people do not get left behind.
"We will improve people’s lives with cleaner air, healthier living, cleaner energy, and sustainable actions that will lead to growing a greener city, which contributes to the overall protection of the planet."
Councillor Sue Dann - Cabinet Member for Environment
Councillors heard that the switch to LED street-lighting had saved the council up to £1.5million on electricity and reduced carbon output by three tonnes a year; investment in solar panels would save around £100,000 a year and cut 144 tonnes of carbon; changing 18 diesel-powered vans to electric saved two tonnes of carbon.
The climate Emergency Action Plan 2021 is the second of 11 from the city council to run through to 2030. It starts a three-year transition phase, which then turns into an acceleration phase up to the end of the decade.