Welcome to the

North Newton Solar Farm

Project Introduction

Ampyr Solar Europe (ASE) is developing a proposal for a 30MW solar farm and battery storage system, located on a 58 hectare area of land close to North Newton Farm near Bridgewater, Somerset and the M5 motorway.

The proposed solar farm would generate enough green energy to supply approximately 13,000 homes, saving over 400,000 tonnes of CO₂.

Who is the developer?

This project is being developed by Ampyr Solar Europe, a major new European solar enterprise. Ampyr Solar Europe was created in 2021 through the merger of NaGa Solar with the existing Ampyr Energy UK joint venture between AGP Group and Hartree Partners. Ampyr Solar Europe operates across Germany, The UK and the Netherlands, with a 7+ GW (Gigawatt) solar portfolio in development.

We anticipate the solar farm to supply green electricity to approximately 13,000 homes a year.

The clean energy generated will save on average approximately 400,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year over the project’s 40-year lifespan. This is the carbon equivalent of taking 3.5 million cars off the road for a year.

We actively seek opportunities at each site to embed ecological enhancements, habitat creation and a net increase in biodiversity.

Community consultation

Public consultation will run from 25th August until 15th September 2025. We are keen to understand your views on the proposal – we use community feedback to inform the project’s design and community benefits.

To provide feedback please complete the questionnaire (available from 4th September), or you can talk to the team at North Newton Village Hall in North Newton, TA7 OBG on 8th September 2025, from 4pm to 7pm.

Why do we need the solar farm?

Climate change is already resulting in an increase in global temperatures and weather patterns affecting societies and ecosystems in the UK and around the world.

To combat climate change, the UK has set the ambitious target of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. To do this, the UK will shut all coal-fired power stations by 2025 and needs to transition to zero and low carbon sources of power. This means the amount of energy generated from renewable sources, such as solar, needs to increase. North Newton Solar Farm will play an important regional and national part in this transition to renewable energy generation.

Currently the UK’s electricity price is among the highest in Europe. The cause of this can be attributed to the lack of ‘home-grown’ energy and our susceptibility to outside influences on our energy prices. To combat this, the UK needs to find ways to increase its energy security, and renewable and clean energy generating power stations, such as solar and wind, play a vital part in achieving this goal.

The National Grid expects the UK’s energy use to double by 2050, partly due to the growth in electric vehicle ownership and the proposed abolition of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035. To keep up with this increased demand while achieving our carbon targets, an increase in renewable energy generating stations is required across the UK.

North Newton Solar Farm is anticipated to generate enough energy to power approximately 13,000 homes per year – or every home in Bridgewater for 9 months. Its energy output will save over 400,000 tonnes of CO₂ over the next 40 years (the design life of the solar farm). This project will contribute to the UK’s work to meet climate and energy security targets, as well as Somerset Council’s goal to achieve net zero by 2030.