A render of the consented site. The BESS in North Yorkshire will connect at the Osgodby grid supply point and is situated to make the most of natural screening. Image Root-Power.

Developer Root-Power has received planning consent for a 40MW/80MWh battery storage site in Selby, North Yorkshire.

The battery energy storage system (BESS) developer launched in July 2024. It is backed by the YLEM Group and now has over 2GW of projects in its pipeline across the UK.

The BESS in North Yorkshire will connect at the Osgodby grid supply point and is situated to make the most of natural screening. Root-Power will collaborate with highways authorities to upgrade local road infrastructure as part of its development plan. The project will also have a biodiversity net gain of 40.72%.

Root-Power’s managing director, Neil Brooks, said the consent was a “great start” to 2025.

When it launched, Root-Power appointed planning consultancies Lanpro, PWA Planning, RCA Regeneration, ELG Planning, and Clive Fagg Planning, to accelerate the delivery of its 40-project pipeline.

One of the largest projects in the pipeline, the 100MW/200MWh Granborough Project in Buckinghamshire, has already reached the advanced development stage of the planning process.

Most recently, the Glasgow City Council approved a 50MW/100MWh BESS to be located in Glasgow city centre. The site, a former shipping container storage yard located close to Ibrox Stadium, will host up to eight BESS containers, as well as a 33kV/600V BESS transformer, a 33kV substation, and other associated infrastructure. 

It is one of four Root-Power projects to receive approval so far, and construction is set to begin for all four this year.

Brooks wrote an exclusive article for Solar Power Portal’s sister site Current±, calling batteries “the most adaptable solution for stabilising the intermittent nature of wind and solar power generation”.

However, he noted that the BESS sector is under-supported in the UK energy mix, adding that “to fully leverage the benefits of BESS, the UK energy sector must advocate for their value in the energy transition, raise consumer awareness, and push for planning reforms to accelerate adoption and encourage investment opportunities”.