RES has submitted proposals for a 49.9MW energy storage project to Torridge District Council.
The project will be located on land close to the Pyworthy substation and connected directly from the site to the 132kV overhead power line.
John Hills, development project manager for RES, said: “Energy storage projects play a vital role in strengthening our energy network and ensuring flexibility. They are the fastest technology to respond to a sudden spike in demand or an abrupt loss of supply on the network. The energy storage system will be used by National Grid to balance peaks and troughs in energy demand and generation; it is a very smart system.
“These projects also provide great opportunities, especially in locations like these, for improving biodiversity. Sustainability is a core value at RES and we carefully design these types of projects to ensure we maximize the environmental benefits. So not only can this project help us support the UK’s net zero emissions target by accelerating the rollout of carbon-free energy, it can also help us support nature and create a haven for wildlife.”
Boost for biodiversity
The project proposal aims to increase biodiversity in the area, with the planting of hedgerows, grasslands and wildflowers expected to deliver a net biodiversity gain of 22% in habitat units and 34% in hedgerow units.
Other solar and storage projects have been shown to benefit biodiversity. A March 2024 study found that solar farms can be ‘havens for biodiversity’, with several bird and mammal species under protection shown to thrive on observed solar farms. A new study by the same researchers is being carried out in collaboration with renewable energy company Low Carbon, using state-of-the-art and new technologies to assess the presence of pollinating insects in the area around Westmill Solar Park in Oxford.
