Developers behind the proposed Hatherton Solar Farm say they are still waiting for confirmation of when the project will be connected to the national grid.

Noventum Power told The Ruralist that a nationwide reordering of renewable energy projects by the National Energy System Operator (NESO) means new grid connection dates will not be issued until sometime between now and March 2027.

A spokesperson for Noventum Power said that because of the overhaul of grid connections, ‘The connection date in our original grid offer no longer applies.’

Across Britain, renewable energy projects are facing a growing grid connection backlog. More than 5,000 schemes, including solar farms, wind projects and battery storage sites, are currently waiting for access to the electricity network, with proposed capacity exceeding 700 GW, far more than the UK actually needs this decade.

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is now reorganising the queue to prioritise projects considered most ready to deliver power.

Although developers say they remain confident that the connection will go ahead in 2027 or 2028, it means Hatherton solar farm remains in progress but without a firm timetable.