Lightsource bp has announced that it has received full planning permission for its first UK standalone battery energy storage system (BESS).
The Pentir Energy Storage project, which will be located near Bangor in Wales, will have a capacity of 57 MW/228 MWh, with a planned operational life of 40 years. The project will be directly connected to the local electricity grid via the nearby Pentir substation. Lightsource BP has not yet indicated when they expect construction to start or a proposed connection date.
As part of the development, a £50,000 community fund for local parish councils in the area will be established, as well as a £45,000 fund to support solar and battery installations, plus boiler improvements for the local mountain rescue service, Ogwen Valley. Mountain Organization.
Declan Keiley, head of business development for UK and Ireland at Lightsource bp, said: “This project is the first in Lightsource bp’s extensive energy storage pipeline in the UK and demonstrates the company’s commitment to accelerating the energy transition, not only by generating renewable electricity, but also by contributing to deeper penetration of renewable energy sources and better grid balancing.”
Welsh BESS ambitions are increasing
Wales has seen a slew of new BESS developments entering planning or beginning construction.
Most notable of these is last week’s announcement that a 1GW BESS was unanimously approved by Cardiff City Council’s planning board. The BESS, which will be built next to a data center in Splott, Cardiff, is the largest BESS to receive planning permission in the UK to date. The 828 battery units that will be installed on site are part of the Latos Data Center’s larger sustainability plans; The data center aims to achieve carbon neutrality through on-site power generation and the import of green energy.
On the Isle of Anglesey, developer BOOM Power has successfully secured planning permission for the Carrog BESS, a 300MW/660MWh, two-hour project. BOOM Power has not yet indicated when construction will begin on the 38.7-hectare project site, which will house 158 BESS units.
One of Britain’s largest BESS projects, also located in Wales, has recently started construction. The 230MW/460MWh Uskmouth BESS project, jointly owned by E.ON and Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, started in July this year and construction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2025.
At the other end of the process, RWE has made progress on its plans for a 350MW BESS in Pembrokeshire, after a pre-application consultation period closed on July 15. If planning permission for this project is approved, 212 battery containers and 106 power conversion systems will be installed on 5.1 hectares of land next to RWE’s Pembroke Power Station.
