The site of the last deep coal mine in the UK is set to become a 5MW solar farm.
The Harworth Group are to install the renewable plant at the old Kellingley Colliery, the closure of which marked the end of the country’s underground coal mining industry a year ago.
The mine was once the deepest in Europe, employed 2000 workers and produced 900 tonnes of coal every hour.
A 31-year lease for the solar farm was confirmed last month following planning consent granted in July. Construction will commence in March 2017, just before the closure of the Renewables Obligation.
Hannah Moxon, Senior Estates Manager at Harworth, said: “Although the basis for renewables subsidies has now changed, we remain convinced that solar and wind farms are an important part of the UK energy mix and we believe the government’s proposed industrial strategy should reintroduce incentives to bring further developments forward.”
A 7MW methane extraction unit is already in place at the site.