Tewkesbury Borough Council has granted planning permission to Exagen to build a 20MW/40MWh battery storage facility in the Cheltenham and Gloucester green belt.
Brockworth Road Energy Reserve is a battery energy storage system (BESS) with an export capacity of approximately 20 MW and a run time of two hours. It is Exagen’s second battery energy storage project to receive planning permission this year and will be located just north of the A417.
The 5.7 hectare site is well screened by existing trees and hedges, and the battery storage facility will be housed in modular units painted green to minimize visual impact.
Projects such as Brockworth Road help reduce the UK’s dependence on imported gas and provide energy security. Batteries play a key role in decarbonizing the electricity grid, enabling the integration of more intermittent renewable energy sources.
Battery storage is also needed to meet the increasing demand for electricity due to the widespread electrification of transport and heat.
Strong evidence was presented in favor of development in the Green Belt and the choice of site was justified. Exagen said councilors appreciated the special circumstances presented by the project, which outweighed the limited change to the Green Belt.
The project promised a net biodiversity gain of 37% through the planting of wildflower meadows, hedge improvements and planting of new trees to improve site screening.
Three previously developed or brownfield alternatives were considered, as well as six greenfield, non-Green Belt alternative sites; however, all were assessed as unsuitable due to policy restrictions, other allocations or planning permission.
A period of public consultation took place in June and July 2023, during which Exagen amended the planning application to reduce the overall footprint and change the site orientation to minimize visual impact.
Exagen continues to expand its current pipeline of projects in development, supported by financing from the Octopus Energy Development Partnership, part of Octopus Energy Generation, which has a minority stake in Exagen Group.
The company aims to progress production, obtain planning permission and commence construction on 500MW of UK sites year on year.
Ben Fawcett, commercial and development director of Exagen Group said: “The planning permission for the Brockworth Road Energy Reserve is a huge achievement for the team at Exagen. Planning permission for this project is testament to the commitment of both Tewkesbury Borough Council and the local community to achieving the UK’s net zero target.”
