PLANS for a giant solar farm to the east of Ayr have been given the green light by the Scottish Government.

The £50 million project by Locogen, which will cover more than 58 hectares at a site near Loch Fergus, has been granted permission by the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit.

The solar farm and linked battery energy storage site (BESS) facility is expected to start generating electricity in 2026, and will power around 13,000 homes.

Stuart Hamilton, head of development at Locogen, said: “We are delighted to have received planning approval for Loch Fergus which marks a significant milestone for the project.

"A big thank you to the entire team involved in getting the project to this stage and we look forward taking the next steps towards construction and operation.”

Locogen is expected to use the land for around 40 years, and the solar farm will be decommissioned at the end of its operational life.

Prior to its approval, a campaign was launched by the ‘No to Loch Fergus Solar Farm’ group, who said the plans would have a detrimental impact on local wildlife.

Despite the protests, the government’s Energy Consents Unit gave the proposal the go-ahead.

A spokesperson said: “The benefits of the proposed development are a generation of electricity from renewable sources, energy storage, and provision of services needed to ensure a secure electricity system, with economic benefits.

"The move to a net zero electricity system needs the delivery of a greater amount of electricity generation from renewable energy, including from sources such as wind and solar which are variable and non-dispatchable.

“Energy storage such as the proposed development provides will be vital in that context to help maintain the balance between supply and demand, to ensuring security of supply, and to reducing the curtailment of renewable generators under grid constraints which would otherwise result in a loss of valuable renewable generation.

“Secure and stable energy supply is a fundamental need of a prosperous economy. As well as the potential economic benefit to local and national businesses during construction, the proposed development would provide further benefit to the economy through its contribution to underpinning energy security and flexibility.”