Sunnica Energy Farm (East and West) (500 MW solar farm)
Sunnica Energy Farm (East and West) is a 500 MW solar farm project in West Suffolk, England. Its status in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract) is: approved on 12 July 2024, not yet built; the record was last updated on 16 December 2024. As a nationally significant project, it was decided by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on a Development Consent Order after examination by the Planning Inspectorate (EN010106).
Planning timeline
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| 18 November 2021 | Application submitted |
| 12 July 2024 | Development consent granted (Secretary of State) |
Project details
- Technology
- solar farm
- Capacity
- 500 MW
- Status (REPD)
- approved, not built
- Record last updated
- 16 December 2024
- Operator or applicant
- Sunnica
- Planning authority
- The Planning Inspectorate - National Infrastructure
- Planning application reference
- EN010106
- Site area
- 621.6 ha
- Address (REPD)
- Land 4.5km East of Burwell and Land 2.5km South-West of Mildenhall
- Council area (by location)
- West Suffolk
- Time to decision
- 138 weeks
- REPD reference
- 7188
The scheme also includes 8.8 MW of battery storage, recorded separately in REPD (approved, not built).
Official project record at the Planning Inspectorate (EN010106)
Who decides
As a nationally significant project, it was decided by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on a Development Consent Order after examination by the Planning Inspectorate (EN010106). All Energy Secretary decisions on solar and wind farms. The Planning Inspectorate - National Infrastructure refused 7% of 46 decided solar, wind and battery applications in REPD (median 73 weeks to a decision). Across all UK planning authorities 19% of 10,236 decided applications were refused.
Other large projects within 10 km
| Project | Type | MW | Status | km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Farm | solar farm | 8.1 | operational | 1.4 |
| Icklingham Solar Farm | solar farm | 8 | permission expired | 6.6 |
| Forest Heath Solar Farm | solar farm | 5 | operational | 8.0 |
| Lackford Estate Solar Park | solar farm | 20.9 | operational | 9.6 |
| Breach Farm Solar farm | solar farm | 67 | operational | 9.8 |
Status and dates as recorded in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract); the database is compiled from public sources and can lag behind council decisions. Location: REPD grid reference (52.3247, 0.4829).