A landscape shaped for centuries by coal extraction is now powering Scotland’s low-carbon future, as Pennon Power unveils a major new solar farm on former mining land outside Dunfermline.
Where miners once descended deep into shafts to extract coal for energy, photovoltaic panels now look upwards towards the sun.
The 100-acre site has 80,000 solar panels and a large battery storage system which is about to produce enough clean electricity to power the equivalent of 15,000 homes each year.
The 30MW, two-hour Battery system can store the equivalent amount of electricity needed to operate the entire Pennon Group for over an hour.
From coal to clean
The project marks a striking “full-circle” moment for the area. The solar farm sits within what was once the Fife Coalfield, historically one of Scotland’s most intensively mined districts. According to archival records, numerous pits such as Rosebank and other small mines once operated across this stretch of ground, many tied to Rosebank Colliery and the Elgin & Wellwood Collieries, which dominated the region throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.
Press reports from the time also describe flooding, severe work shortages, and dangerous working conditions – reminders that the coalfield was as challenging as it was productive.
Now, in a reversal of that legacy, the land will generate a resource that is silent, clean and renewable.
Fuelling the future
The Dunfermline site is one of two new Scottish solar farms launched by Pennon Power, part of Pennon Group plc. A second site at Cullerlie, near Aberdeen, includes 26,000 panels across almost 50 acres, which is already generating electricity for around 5,000 homes.
Together, the projects will deliver renewable energy equivalent to 20,000 homes annually, repurposing land once shaped by heavy industry and supporting the UK’s drive towards net zero.
CEO of Pennon, Susan Davy said: “There’s something incredibly powerful about taking land that once fuelled the past and using it to power the future at our site in Dunfermline. Our new solar farms here and at Cullerlie show the role we can play in regenerating places, supporting local communities and driving down carbon. This is a real example of the future we’re working towards with positive action that helps us build a cleaner, more resilient future for the people we serve.”
Powering Water Services with Green Energy
Pennon Group - which owns South West Water, Bristol Water, Bournemouth Water, SES Water and Isles of Scilly Water - uses renewable energy across many of its treatment works, pumping stations and reservoirs.
The company is expanding its own green-generation capacity to reduce carbon emissions and when all four of Pennon Power’s new solar sites are operational by 2027, the portfolio will generate the equivalent of 40% of the Group’s total electricity consumption.
Community and Climate Benefits
The Dunfermline solar farm includes:
- Biodiversity enhancements designed to support wildlife
- Landscaping that reflects the site’s historic industrial contours
- Sheep grazing to maintain grass naturally
- A community fund supporting local schools and groups