Canadian Solar subsidiary Recurrent Energy and Windel Energy have submitted a construction application for a 150 MW battery energy storage system (BESS).
The Buckland BESS will be located on 13.5 hectares of land west of the village of Buckland Ripers, near Weymouth in Dorset. The proposed site is directly adjacent to the already operational Nottington Lane Solar Farm, a 5 MWp project owned by Wessex Solar Energy. If approved, the development would be connected to the electrical grid through the nearby Chickerell substation.
Prior to this application, pre-application surveying work has been underway at the site since the summer of 2023, with community consultation taking place in the autumn of the same year. Neither developer has confirmed when construction could begin if planning permission is granted.
Jamie Knott, MD at Windel Energy said of the application: “This is a very positive development proposal that has the potential to support local and national renewable energy generation, strengthen the resilience of the National Grid and meet Dorset Council’s climate targets to support.
“We really look forward to working with both the council and the local community to bring this plan to life, delivering real environmental and community benefits and helping drive the transition to a more sustainable future.”
Harry Wilder, head of UK business development at Recurrent Energy, added: “This exciting project has the potential to significantly strengthen the National Grid and energy infrastructure in Dorset, driving the transition to renewable energy generation and a more sustainable future in the UK supported and facilitated. .”
Windel and recurring partnerships
If approved, this project could be the next in a long line of joint projects between Recurrent Energy and Windel Energy.
Earlier this week, a partnership between the two companies, known as Fosse Green Energy, announced it was entering into regulatory consultation for a new solar and storage project in Lincolnshire. While the exact capacity for the project has not yet been confirmed, the company noted that it would be above the 50 MW threshold for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) designation.
In July, the two companies were granted a Development Consent Order (DCO) as part of a three-tiered series of DCO approvals from the newly installed Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband. The DCO was awarded for the 350MW Mallard Pass Solar Farm, which will also be located in Lincolnshire, following a planning process that saw repeated roadblocks and delays caused by Miliband’s predecessor, Claire Coutinho.
Just three days later the pair achieved another victory when planning permission was granted for the Harker BESS, a 200 MW/400 MWh 2-hour project to be located near Carlisle. Although construction on this project can begin now, it is unlikely to begin before the fourth quarter of 2029 unless an accelerated grid connection date can be agreed.
Smaller projects are also part of the history of cooperation between Windel Energy and Recurrent Energy, with the two land permits for a 9.9 MW solar farm in Wales in June this year.
