A 400kW floating photovoltaic (FPV) array has been installed at Bathgate Silica Sand’s Cheshire quarry to supply the industrial sand producer with renewable electricity.
Made up of 650 floating solar panels on North Arclid Lake, the array was installed over a six-month period by Scottish marine energy firm Nova.
Developed in partnership with environmental engineering firm RSK Group, work on the project began in December 2025, with first power delivered in May 2026. Quarry operations were able to continue as normal during the entire project installation.
The array, which is the size of two Olympic swimming pools, will help Bathgate Silica Sand to decarbonise its century-old quarry operations and reduce its energy bills.
While conventional solar farms sometimes attract controversy because of the amount of land they use, floating solar farms do not take up any space on land and are cooled naturally by the water underneath them, boosting their efficiency.
Floating solar panel usage is expanding...