The largest bank in Spain has started building a giant solar energy farm at a former RAF site in Suffolk.

The 31.6MW Broxted Solar Farm will generate 30,200MWh of electricity every year – enough to power 8,000 households – and is expected to cut 33,120 tonnes of carbon dioxide and 94,213 tonnes of nitrogen oxide emissions.

Santander, which got the rights to develop the project after buying Broxted Solar Company Limited from developer Lark Energy, has chosen Isolux Corsan as the construction contractor for the solar farm.

Oliver Alexander, Executive Director – Santander Asset & Capital Structuring said: “The project is a leading example of how the environment and solar power can work together. It represents our second major investment in UK solar and is forming part of a wider portfolio of UK solar projects we are constructing over the next six months.”

The project is expected to be completed by the end of this year. Santander has financed 6,487MW of renewable projects across Spain, Brazil, Canada, Chile, America, Italy, Australia, Mexico and Uruguay.