Rosefield Solar Farm

Why is Rosefield Solar Farm needed?

Reaching net zero means fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas will need to be replaced by sources of clean, renewable electricity. This is important because the energy sector produces around 75% of greenhouse gas emissions around the world today. The government believes that by 2030, 95% of British electricity could be low carbon and by 2035, this could be 100%.

In the future, electricity will have a much larger role to play in our energy system. As the UK transitions to net zero, our whole economy will switch over to cleaner forms of electricity – to heat our homes and power our future transport systems, buildings and industries. This means we need to produce a lot more electricity than we currently do. In fact, electricity demand is set to double by 2050.

 

All of this means we need to increase the amount of clean electricity we produce by increasing the sources of renewable energy we have in the UK. Having multiple sources of electricity will help the UK boost its domestic supply of clean energy and create a reliable and secure energy network.

Solar is an important part of the way we meet this need – it is the most affordable source of renewable energy in the UK*, it is reliable and can be built quickly compared to other renewable technologies. 


The amount of solar we need to reach our net-zero target would use just 0.3 per cent of land in the UK. Solar farms last around 40 years and once they are removed, the land can be returned to its original use.


Rosefield Solar Farm will make an important contribution to helping the UK build a cleaner, more secure energy system and reaching our net-zero target.


* Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, Electricity Generation Costs Report 2023, 2023