Medebridge Solar Farm hits new milestone
03 Jan 2025
The University is excited to announce that Medebridge, the new solar farm that will provide us with 65% of our electricity demand from 2025, has reached a major milestone with the installation of over 100,000 solar modules.
Our journey towards a zero-carbon future continues to make exciting progress, as all of the solar panels at the site are now installed, totalling 104,000 across 175 acres. 350 miles of cabling is currently being laid to connect the site’s infrastructure, with our official partner – Enviromena – reporting that we are on track to meet key milestones.
Built on brownfield land with social responsibility in mind, the plant will play a significant role in reducing our carbon emissions. The central field of the site will host a dedicated biodiversity zone, with enhancements to hedgerows, native grasslands, and wildflower meadows. This will create nesting opportunities for wildlife and improve habitat connectivity, ensuring the project contributes to both clean energy generation and ecological restoration.
The solar farm is set to be switched on in April 2025, with electricity generation transitioning to full capacity by June 2025. Once operational, it will reduce the University’s carbon emissions by 12,000 tonnes annually.
Lee Barlow, Project Lead at the University said: “A Uuniversity delegation will soon make its inaugural visit to the groundbreaking site in Ockendon, Essex. The fantastic progress made by Enviromena has been inspiring to watch, and we are extremely excited to get this thing energised in 2025.”
Lee Adams, Chief Commercial Officer at Enviromena added, “We're committed to providing large-scale clean energy projects across the UK in the drive towards Net Zero targets. Medebridge has huge significance for decarbonising electricity networks and our partnership with the University shows a joint dedication towards sustainability. We are excited to develop our relationship and work closely with the University in the coming years."