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A council-backed solar farm project has been put up for sale – but to find out further details, prospective buyers will need to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

The 20MW Cwm Ifor Solar Farm could power 6,000 homes if it is built on “low-grade” farmland above Penyrheol and Abertridwr, after Caerphilly County Borough Council developed the plans into a “ready-to-build” scheme.

The Welsh Government signed-off on planning permission for the solar farm in May 2024, with the project requiring ministerial approval because its size made it a development of national significance.

The project’s development rights are now for sale through Savills Earth Capital Advisory – a dedicated branch of the estate agents looking after renewable energy schemes.

The proposed 20 MW farm has around 81 acres of land under an option to lease and is expected to be connected to the national grid in December 2026.

Cllr Jamie Pritchard, Caerphilly Council’s deputy leader, said: “This is an exciting and innovative initiative, which aims to help deliver our targets to lower carbon emissions and at the same time generate a financial return which can be reinvested into services, which is vital during the current challenges we face.”

According to Savills website, more information is only available by signing a non-disclosure agreement – a legal document meaning any information shared cannot be made public because of commercial confidentiality.

Henry Grant, of Savills, said: “This sale offers an excellent opportunity for investors to acquire a well-planned renewable energy project with substantial potential for positive impact.

“We anticipate strong interest from investors, community energy groups, and public sector organisations, and look forward to supporting Caerphilly County Borough Council throughout the process.”

According to previous council reports, while the project was being prepared, the cost to actually build the farm could be anywhere between £12million and £16m, which is on top of buying the rights from Caerphilly Council.

Caerphilly Observer has previously reported that public bodies, community energy groups and private parties may all be considered in a potential deal.

If the successful buyer is not from the private sector, Cwm Ifor could become Wales’ largest publicly-owned solar farm.

The project is one of the pillars of Caerphilly Council’s decarbonisation strategy, which sets out how the local authority will meet Welsh Government aims to become net-zero by 2030.

Cwm Ifor’s southern-facing slopes make it “suitable for solar arrays” and the project is estimated to have a lifespan of 35 years.

Caerphilly Council had long considered selling the project, and in mid-September last year cabinet members agreed to pursue a sale.

According to the council’s decarbonisation strategy, the project could also deliver direct and indirect benefits to the community.

The strategy sets out the possibility of a “community benefit fund made available to groups within the area as part of the solar project”.

According to the council, such clauses would be included in the sale documents.

A spokesperson for the local authority has previously said the council would need to reconsider its options if it was unable to complete a deal – a scenario it claimed was “unlikely”.