Statera has received planning permission for a 400MW/2,400MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) project in Weymouth.
The project, at East Chickerell Court Farm, had caused local controversy due to the size and fire risk of lithium-ion batteries, but neither the Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service nor the national Environment Agency objected.
The vote was six to two in favor at a Council meeting in Dorset. Supporters of the project said its contribution to the UK’s decarbonisation efforts, by helping to integrate renewable energy, made it necessary and that urban development had a greater impact on the local environment.
Statera maintains more than a gigawatt of battery systems in Britain. In March this year it received approval for another South West project, a 290MW/1,740MWh BESS, which would be developed near Exeter in Devon.
Most online projects in the UK today take systems of around 1 or 2 hours; Statera’s Chickerell BESS is one of the largest in the world with a duration of 6 hours. After the building permit has been obtained, Statera will make a final investment decision (FID) and confirm the BESS provider.
The project has a grid connection date in 2028, possibly even later due to its size.
Another important factor in securing planning for UK projects is proving that the land use will not threaten food security. Agricultural land on the site is classified as grade 3b/4 (51%), which is considered poorer quality and less productive.
Local authorities have used references in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to the consideration of agricultural land for food production as a reason to refuse planning permission – a trend particularly visible in solar energy projects.
Statera’s plans include improving wildlife corridors, landscape features and biodiversity.
It is widely recognized that grid flexibility, as provided by BESS, will be a crucial enabler of the government’s ambitious clean energy targets. Having made wind power the ‘backbone’ of its renewable energy initiatives, the Labor government has revealed little about its plans to ensure the UK’s electricity grid can support new projects coming online.
That said, the UK BESS market has made progress in recent weeks, with planning permission granted for a 400MWh project near Carlisle and the construction of one of the largest BESS projects in Britain by E.ON and Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners.
to read the full version of this story, visit Energy-Storage.News.
Additional reporting for Solar Power Portal by Molly Green.
