Energy storage specialist Apatura has been granted planning permission for a 700 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) in Inverclyde, Scotland.
Once completed, the Aunchetiber BESS will be Scotland’s largest standalone BESS, while it will also be the largest project for which Apatura has received approval for its 10GW pipeline.
The BESS will be sited on approximately 16.39 hectares of land near Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, with consent for the construction of 240 BESS units, 140 BESS transformers, 280 BESS inverters, three 33 kV switch rooms, a 400 kV control building and a 400 kV to 33 kV transformer connection.
Invercylde Council’s Energy Consents Unit approved the consent on September 11, without any objections raised by the council. The approval decision letter commends Apatura for its commitment to good practices in the community. A community fund will be established as part of the development process, and two species of native trees will be planted on site to boost biodiversity.
Andrew Philpott, Chief Development Officer at Apatura, said: “We are pleased that ministers have supported this vitally important plan and that the local council – Inverclyde – has raised no objections. Our focus on Scotland is central to our vision to unlock the potential for renewable energy.”
“BESS plays a crucial role in modern energy management, especially in the context of renewable energy integration and electricity grid stability. This scheme will contribute to stable energy prices, which will lead to lower bills, removing pressure on households while increasing energy security. We are committed to delivering reliable, clean energy to communities across the country and this latest planning permission does just that,” concludes Philpott.
Scottish BESS on the rise
Although Apatura Energy has recently achieved some smaller planning successes in Scotland, with the approval of three projects with a total capacity of 85 MW since December, it is the larger BESS proposals in Scotland that are attracting the most attention from the sector.
A 49.9MW project by Scala Renewables Group near Kintore was recently granted full planning permission, despite a huge public backlash with Aberdeenshire Council receiving 51 objections during the planning process.
Meanwhile, Kona Energy has been granted planning permission for a 228MW/456MWh 2-hour BESS project in East Lothian. The Smeaton BESS is expected to consist of 75 series of BESS units, and Kona Energy is currently seeking investment to bring the project to life.
Scotland is ideal for energy storage projects due to the large number of wind energy projects, both on and offshore. So it’s not surprising that other energy storage technologies are also flourishing in Scotland.
In May, Glen Earrach Energy (GEE) announced its intention to develop a 30 GWh pumped hydro storage project in Scotland’s world-famous Loch Ness and recently submitted an exploratory application to the Scottish Government. Meanwhile, ILI Group has submitted a planning application for the 1.5GW Balliemeanoch pumped hydro storage project, which if approved could be connected to the grid as early as 2031.
SSE Renewables recently achieved a major milestone in its own pumped hydro storage project, following the completion of exploratory tunneling work on the 1.3GW/30GWh Coire Glas development.
