The Project
Connecting to the grid
The electricity generated by the Project will be exported to the national grid via underground electricity cables. It will connect at National Grid’s Melksham Substation located approximately 20 km south of the Solar PV Sites, to the north of Melksham and west of the A350.
Our preferred route
The Cable Route Search Corridor comprises the area in which the Cable Route Corridor would connect the Solar PV Sites to one another (i.e. ‘Interconnecting Cables) and to the existing Melksham Substation.
During our second stage of consultation, we identified an area of land (the Cable Route Search Corridor) which covered approximately 1,947 ha of land within which the Cable Route Corridor would be sited. Since Stage Two, we identified an indicative preferred Cable Route Search Corridor, covering approximately 996 ha. The map below shows how our plans for the cable route have progressed so far.
The cable route corridor would still follow an alignment south from the on-site 400 kV substations, going across the M4 near Sevington then to the east of Yatton Keynell continuing to run south across the A420 east of Corsham until it reaches Melksham Substation.
We are continuing work to identify suitability, and the Cable Route Search Corridor will be further refined to avoid or minimise any adverse effects, for example to local wildlife and archaeology, before we submit our final application for development consent.
We recently sent an update to local communities regarding our preferred Cable Route Search Corridor to keep people informed and up to date as we prepare for application submission later this year. You can read the Summer Newsletter - June 2025 by clicking here.
What is a route corridor?
A route corridor is a broad ribbon of land through which an electrical connection could be routed. The corridor may vary in width depending on a range of factors including the location of:
Built up areas where people live
Infrastructure including roads and railway lines.
Physical landscape features as well as other features that may be sensitive in terms of ecology, heritage or landscape.
Protected sites including nature conservation area
Building the connection
We are proposing to build the connection between the solar park, BESS, and the substation by installing underground cable. We are not proposing to use pylons and overhead lines.
The cable trench for the grid connection cables would be approximately 1.7m wide and up to 2m deep.
Underground cables can be buried in areas without land restrictions. However, after the land is restored, restrictions may be applied to avoid the risk of cables being disturbed or damaged.
A sealing end compound will be needed where a section of underground cable comes above ground. For example, where it joins Melksham Substation.
Stage One Consultation — March 2024
During our initial stage of consultation in March to April 2024, we had identified three broad cable route corridors within which the underground cables could be located.
South from the 400kV substation, going across the M4 near Sevington then to the east of Yatton Keynell continuing to run south across the A420, then west of Gastard and east of Corsham until it reaches Melksham substation.
South from the 400kV substation, crossing the M4 near Leigh Delamere, before continuing to the west of Kington St. Michael, across the A420, east of Gastard and West of Norton.
A route that broadly follows the A350 road having run south from M4 junction 17.
In selecting these route corridors, we have sought to minimise ecological impact and preserve cultural heritage by avoiding designated ecological areas, mature and historic woodlands, listed buildings, scheduled monuments, and conservation areas. Additionally, we have aimed to reduce their length and the number of crossings over roads, railways, watercourses, and hedgerows as much as possible.