Battery energy storage system (BESS) developer NatPower UK has launched the first consultation for a proposed 1GW BESS in Yorkshire.
The Mowbray Energy Storage project proposes installing a 1GW BESS and a transmission-connected substation on 93 acres of land to the north of the village of East Rounton, North Yorkshire. Lithium-ion batteries will be used for the project, and early design plans suggest these will be spread across two compounds on the site, surrounded by ecological enhancements.
In order to enhance the biodiversity of the local area, the project developers plan to plant native hedgerows and woodland surrounding the site, as well as creating a species-rich wet grassland area to the rear of the development and installing bird and bat boxes where appropriate. Of the 93-acre proposed site, around 56 acres will be used for the BESS and transmission infrastructure, with the rest being dedicated to biodiversity enhancements.
If the project is approved, NatPower says it will commit to supporting local communities through a Community Energy Transition Fund, which the company claims could offer the local community over £500,000 each year to support emissions reduction, green skills, and sustainable agriculture initiatives in the local community.
NatPower states that it has accepted a 1GW grid connection offer from National Grid and, subject to the project’s approval, expects to connect the Mowbray BESS to the grid in 2028.
Early public consultations for the project have now been opened ahead of submitting planning proposals to North Yorkshire Council, which NatPower says it plans to do before the end of this year. Local residents are invited to submit their feedback, support or concerns online until 16 December 2024. If the project is approved, NatPower states that it expects construction will begin in late 2026, conclude in June 2028, before beginning commercial operation in December 2028.
This is not the first gigawatt-scale project NatPower has been involved in this year. In late May, the company announced a partnership with Teesworks, the UK’s largest industrial zone, unveiling plans for a 1GW BESS on 50 acres of the 4500-acre Teesworks site.
In March of this year, NatPower announced that it would invest £10 billion into the UK BESS and solar sectors in an effort to bring over 60GWh of BESS online by 2040, with £600 million allocated to developing substations alone.
