Projects Rochdale and Salford solar farms

Rochdale and Salford solar farms

Solar development

Public Sector

Ground Mounted Solar PV England

Tailored project support from feasibility to construction and beyond

Locogen supported Rochdale and Salford local authorities to build two separate ground mount solar farms (5.5 and 2 MWp respectively) at different locations in the Northwest of England.

5.5 MWp ground mounted solar farm
2 MWp ground mounted solar farm

Client Rochdale Borough Council and Salford City Council
Service Components Ground mount solar
Status In construction

The project

Locogen worked with Rochdale Borough Council and Salford City Council to build two separate ground mount solar farms (5.5 and 2 MWp respectively) at different locations in the Northwest of England. Having already been involved in the projects at feasibility stage, Locogen was appointed as project manager and owner’s engineer for both developments in 2022, overseeing all procurement and construction once initial planning and grid connection was confirmed.

Locogen provided our clients with an array of services; from technical support provided by our Advisory team, Owner’s Engineer role and construction management delivered by our Construction & Engineering team, and condition discharge and ecological expertise from our Planning & Environment team.

Our approach

Locogen de-risked these projects for our clients by undertaking key procurement and construction support, as well as project management work. This included:

reviewing contractor CPP and prestart information,
organising and managing meetings,
mapping timescales and monitoring budget compliance,
construction supervision, such as regular on-site presence,
and design review services including the review of contractor design variations.

Locogen also liaised with the project funders, the European Regional Development Fund, to ensure that both projects complied with both the client’s and funders’ timescales and requirements in relation to costs and technical performance.

Obstacles to overcome

During both projects, there was a series of challenges that Locogen supported our clients to overcome. Procurement support was a key part of our role in these developments, but also a significant challenge. The political landscape in England at time of construction meant that renewable energy development was a re-emerging market. This meant that there was limited number of contractors in the area with sufficient track record of constructing solar farms of this size, making it difficult to appoint a suitable EPC with the expertise to deliver the full project scope.

However, Locogen assisted our clients through the provision of a full system technical specification of the Employer’s Requirements for each of the EPC and O&M contracts, as well as advising on tender questions, evaluations and clarifications. We worked in adherence to each client’s specific procurement processes and successfully supported both local authorities to find a contractor who could meet their needs. Moving forward, a learning from this would be that an early review of the planned procurement systems is highly recommended.

Additional challenges include project delays and ecological concerns. There were issues around the timely construction of grid infrastructure which led to procurement delays for one of the solar farms. This meant the Locogen had to monitor carefully project deadlines and funding requirements to ensure project compliance. Material availability, changes and delays also led to iterations of design review and compliance testing.

Ground nesting birds at onsite at one location presented difficulties, but Locogen’s in-house environmental team worked with the appointed EPC to provide responsive and dynamic solutions in an evolving live construction environment, supporting compliance whilst progressing with construction.

Rochdale Borough Council's solar farm

The outcome

Locogen supported both clients to construct their solar farms in a timely and compliant manner. Both developments have been built for our clients; the Salford project was successfully commissioned in June 2024, and the Rochdale was commissioned that December.

Since then, Locogen has been assisting both clients in an Owner’s Engineer role, working through acceptance testing and we are currently supporting final stages of reviewing the warranty operational period, signing off completion documentation, providing snagging lists and auditing performance tests.

Small bird perched on solar panels at a renewable energy site, illustrating the interaction between wildlife and solar power while highlighting sustainable energy and habitat conservation.

We had the pleasure of working with Locogen on the procurement, design, installation, and operational setup of the Little Hulton solar farm, and their expertise was invaluable at every stage. From initial planning through to commissioning, the team demonstrated exceptional technical knowledge, clear communication, and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

They supported us through multiple procurement exercises, ensured the project met the specified quality standards, and continues to operate as designed. Thanks to their guidance, we now have a fully operational solar farm that is contributing significantly to our sustainability goals.

Hayley Nixon, Commercial Project Manager,
Salford City Council