Our Proposals

Fraxinus Solar Farm

The proposed development

Fraxinus Solar Farm is being proposed on land off Enville Common Road, Dudley DY3 4QE. The Proposed Development comprises a solar farm and associated infrastructure.

Fraxinus Solar Farm is proposed to include ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, inverter and transformer stations, a substation, internal access tracks, security fencing, CCTV and areas of landscaping and biodiversity enhancement. The solar arrays would be mounted on fixed metal frames with associated infrastructure distributed across the site.

Electricity generated by the solar farm would be exported to the National Grid via underground cabling connecting the site to a point of connection approximately 1.3km from the solar farm. The indicative underground cable route would broadly follow existing highway corridors.

Access to the site during construction and operation is currently anticipated to be taken from Chasepool Road, Enville Common Road and Worlds End Road, with a number of potential access points continuing to be assessed as the design evolves. The proposals will also incorporate landscape mitigation, ecological enhancement and biodiversity net gain measures alongside the operational infrastructure.

Fraxinus Solar Farm would be a temporary development, with an operational life of approximately 40 years. At the end of this period, the site would be decommissioned and the solar infrastructure will be removed.

The Site

The site is located on land near Greensforge, northwest of Ashwood and southwest of Hinksford and Swindon, in South Staffordshire. The proposals currently comprise:

A solar farm including ground mounted panels and other related infrastructure, producing up to c.60MW of electricity (AC)
A 132kV/33kV substation located within the solar farm site itself
Landscaping and environmental enhancements, including more than a 10% uplift in the biodiversity value of the site

Download site plan

Our proposals for Fraxinus Solar Farm would deliver the following:

Supporting the local economy: We are committed to employing local suppliers and contractors throughout construction and long-term operation, ensuring that investment stays within the community and directly benefits local businesses.
Powering local homes: The solar farm would generate enough clean, renewable energy to power the equivalent of 16,200 homes. For context, that’s equivalent to being enough to power all the homes in Kingswinford, Wall Heath and Wordsley North put together.
Energy security: Projects like Fraxinus Solar Farm reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels, protecting consumers from global price shocks.
Biodiversity: Qualitas Energy is committed to ensuring that the impacts on wildlife are minimised and that the project will deliver biodiversity and habitat improvements. The project will deliver meaningful benefits for wildlife through new tree and hedgerow planting, and will seek to deliver more than the required 10% biodiversity net gain required by UK law[1].
Tackling climate change: The Fraxinus Solar Farm project will contribute towards the UK’s transition to a low carbon economy and will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with local, national, and international targets, including the legally binding commitment to reach Net Zero by 2050[2].

[1] Environment Act 2021: Environment Act 2021

[2] Climate Change Act 2008: Technical annex – GOV.UK