‘Inadequate answers’ over where Lincolnshire solar panels will come from
Lincolnshire solar farm developers are unable or unwilling to reveal where their panels will come from amid environmental concerns raised by campaigners. The majority of those asked by LincolnshireLive said a decision on the origin of their panel hadn’t been decided yet, but a councillor representing one of the hotspots said these were “inadequate answers” for residents. Campaign groups opposing Lincolnshire solar farms have raised concerns about where they would be manufactured from, and how disused panels would be recycled. China currently dominates the market of solar panels, but has been accused of using slave labour in the production. LincolnshireLive questioned all developers on where their panels are likely to come from, with all those who responded saying they hadn’t determined the point of origin yet. They did say that they would ensure solar panels are ethically sourced and not produced by forced labour though. Councillor Marianne Overton (Ind), chair of the Cliff Villages Solar Action Group, said developers needed to be more transparent about the plans. “It creates a lot of worry when answers are inadequate. We’re often told they will use the ‘best available technology at the time’, but that’s a meaningless statement,” she said.
Cllr Marianne Overton is leading the campaign against North Kesteven solar farms
(Image: Lincolnshire Live)
“90 per cent of panels are currently made in China, but there is big concern about technology being in this country near RAF bases. They say solar will cut carbon emissions, but that doesn’t factor in being produced in China and transported halfway around the world. These questions should be part of the decision-making process.” Telis Energy UK, which is developing the Leoda project, was one of the companies which said it would only work with manufacturers who had pledged to prevent modern slavery in the supply chain. Low Carbon, the company behind plans for the Beacon Fen Energy Farm, said its current mounting equipment is from the UK and other technology comes from Europe, although China has the vast majority of the solar panel market. It said its strict requirements put “contractual guarantees in place with suppliers to ensure key materials are free from any forced labour. “This includes conducting inspections and factory audits, which are then reviewed by our legal team to scrutinise all aspects of traceability, production and transportation.” When questioned by LincolnshireLive, companies were also unable to provide exact details on how or where panels would be recycled. Cllr Overton said: “Companies need to think about this now, not in 20 years. All it takes is one bad storm – it’s unlikely nothing will go wrong before then.” The company behind the Heckington Fen project said: “Solar panels are already 95 per cent recyclable, which is an exceptionally high rate – there’s already one place in Britain that recycles panels. In 20 years time, when the panels reach the end of their life, we expect this new industry to have evolved considerably.” Telis Energy UK said it would work with companies around Europe, and would have an environmental management plan for decommissioning its Leoda project in future. Low Carbon said capacity to treat solar panel waste “does not currently exist” in the area. A spokesperson said: “It is anticipated that these waste products will need to be transported to specialist facilities able to reuse or recycle the components of the solar panels and battery units.” All other companies questioned by LincolnshireLive declined to comment, or did not respond by the time of publication.
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