Local authorities have given planning permission for standalone battery storage and co-located solar-storage projects from developers ESB, RES and Renewable Connections.
While the granting of consent only represents one step in the process from conception to commercial operation, it is an essential hurdle to clear along with financial close, grid connection agreements, procurement and other steps.
360MW project in Cumbria
At a Wednesday (9 July) meeting, Cumberland Council Planning Committee approved the development of a 360MW battery energy storage system (BESS) and associated infrastructure proposed by developer ESB.
The Harker Moss BESS project is in the Rockcliffe area of Carlisle, Cumbria, adjacent to the National Grid Harker Substation, to which it would be connected via underground cabling.
The Planning Committee determined that the application is “of strategic significance,” which was reported to the committee as it was an application for a renewable energy development covering an area of one hectare or more.
The principle behind the project’s development was assessed, along with its impact on the surrounding area, including visual impact, impact on trees and hedges, living conditions of nearby residents, biodiversity net gain and highway safety. Proposals for surface water drainage and ‘other matters’ were also taken into account, according to the committee.
Developer ESB Scotland—not to be confused with Ireland’s main energy provider ESB—is joined by Canadian Solar’s development subsidiary Recurrent Energy and developer Windel Energy in seeking to connect to the Harker substation.
Recurrent and Windel are jointly developing another 200MW/400MWh BESS in the area.
While ESB Scotland does not appear to have much of a public presence as yet, back in September 2024 the company said it had signed letters of intent (LOI) for the supply of 1.5GW of BESS equipment from US startup American Energy Storage Innovations (AESI).
ESB Scotland said the agreement would cover the Harker project, for which the planned output and capacity were given at 371MW/742MWh at that time, as well as ESB’s High Nether Faul Farm at Gretna Substation projects in Scotland.
However, since then, AESI has run into financial difficulties, according to several employee posts to LinkedIn made in May, with the business winding down, as reported by sister site Energy-Storage.news.
While there has yet to be an official announcement, neither AESI’s company website or its own LinkedIn page has been updated in some time. Energy-Storage.news’ enquiries to AESI executives in May went unanswered, but the news implies ESB Scotland will be seeking a new supplier.
RES project to connect to substation which once served UK’s last coal plant
RES celebrated the granting of approval this week for its Winking Hill BESS near Ratcliffe-on-Soar, south Nottinghamshire, from Rushcliffe Borough Council.
The 99.9MW standalone BESS project will connect to the substation which used to serve the coal-fired Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station. Owned and operated by Uniper, the 2GW coal plant was decommissioned and closed in September last year. It was the final coal thermal generation plant in the UK.
“Battery energy storage is one of the most effective tools we have to support the decarbonisation of the grid while keeping the electricity system resilient and responsive,” RES project manager Jenna Folkard said.
“We’re proud that this project gets to play its’ part in supporting the transition to a cleaner and more efficient grid network following the decommissioning of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station.”
RES emphasised in a release sent to media including Solar Power Portal that the company’s approach to the development exceeds national Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) policy requirements. It includes the addition of dedicated areas for native planting, hedgerow creation and habitat diversification. RES said it would result in an estimated 77% increase in habitat units and a 66% increase in hedgerow units.
To date, the developer, which began in wind energy but has developed other technologies including solar PV and latterly battery storage for over a decade, has developed more than 830MW of BESS in the UK and Ireland and manages more than 600MW of operational energy storage projects, monitored 24/7 from its Glasgow control centre.
Renewable Connections celebrates timing of council decision during NESO Connections Reform window
Also celebrating this week was Renewable Connections, which received consent from Canterbury City Council for a solar-plus-storage co-located project in Kent.
The council made its determination 4 July, after solar PV and battery storage developer Renewable Connections submitted its application in December 2024.
The developer noted that this timing means the 38MW solar PV and 30MW BESS project can be included in the submission window for Gate 2 projects currently opened by the National Energy System Operator (NESO) as part of the Connections Reform process.
Under the NESO plan to trim the lengthy grid connection queues at both the transmission and distribution levels, developers must submit applications and evidence to retain their place in the queue, and if successful, get an expedited connection offer.
NESO prioritises viable projects from serious developers that align with the UK’s Clean Power 2030 goals. The submissions window opened 8 July and closes just before midnight on 29 July.
Renewable Connections also emphasised the biodiversity plans it has put in place for the project near Tyler Hill in Kent. According to the company’s CEO Michael Hughes, in addition to helping integrate renewable energy to the grid and tackle the climate crisis, the site itself will see a biodiversity uplift of over 100% “as a result of implementing a package of landscape, ecological, and biodiversity benefits.”
