New floating solar project comes online

A new floating solar project has come online in Cheshire, England. Commissioned by Bathgate Silica Sand, the 400kW floating photovoltaic (FPV) project has been completed by Scottish firm Nova Innovation and developed in partnership with engineering consultancy RSK.

The project was awarded as an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract in December 2025, with first power delivered in May 2026. Nova previously developed the world’s first offshore tidal array in Shetland and also delivered Scotland’s first FPV project.

The new array, which is made up of 650 floating solar panels on North Arclid Lake, marks a significant milestone for Bathgate Silica Sand’s ambition to decarbonise its century-old quarry operations, as well as to reduce its energy bills.

With the project completed in just six months, David Robinson, Managing Director, Bathgate Silica Sand, commented: “This is a significant moment for our business and shows that quarries are playing a key role in creating a more sustainable future. Many thanks to Nova for delivering on time and managing every aspect of the job, allowing us to focus on our core day-to-day quarrying operations.”[i]

FPV to play a major role in the UK’s clean energy drive?

The news of Nova’s latest project completion comes at a time when floating solar is increasingly being positioned as playing a major role in the UK’s clean energy drive. Recent research from CBI Economics released last month, found that floating solar is a viable, near-term solution given the UK hosts a large, untapped pool of water bodies close to demand and grid infrastructure.

However, deployment will depend on policy support, where capacity could scale up to 59GW by 2050 and find cost competitiveness with ground-mounted solar by the 2030s, under the right framework. There is also significant economic opportunity with £30bn+ in gross value added alongside the creation of thousands of jobs, contingent on early UK supply chain investment.[ii]

The UK’s previous Conservative Government set a target of reaching 70GW of solar by 2035 at the advice of the Solar Taskforce. Commenting, Simon Forrest, Chief Executive Officer at Nova Innovation, has said: “Achieving first power at the Cheshire quarry is a significant milestone”, adding that the array is already reducing Bathgate Silica Sand’s energy bills. “It clearly demonstrates what floating solar can offer to businesses with access to water bodies. We are excited about what this project signals, both for our pipeline and for the role floating solar will play in the UK reaching its 2035 target.”[iii]

References

[i] Nova Innovation | Floating Solar

[ii] Harnessing floating solar’s untapped potential | CBI

[iii] Ibid

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