Nissan said construction will begin immediately and be completed by May 2022. The new solar farm will double the amount of renewable electricity generated at Nissan's Sunderland plant to 20% of its needs.

In July, Nissan said it would spend 1 billion pounds ($1.33 billion) with its Chinese partner Envision AESC to build a battery plant that will power 100,000 vehicles a year, including a new crossover model.

Earlier this week, Nissan said it will spend 2 trillion yen ($17.64 billion) over five years to accelerate vehicle electrification to catch up with competitors in one of the fastest growth areas for car makers.

($1 = 113.4100 yen)

($1 = 0.7509 pounds)

(Reporting By Nick Carey; Editing by Bernadette Baum)

By Nick Carey