Fresh delays from Northern Powergrid (NPG) have pushed back the connection date of Enviromena’s 30MW battery energy storage system (BESS) in Northumberland to 2036 despite being ready to construct.
Chris Marsh, CEO at Enviromena revealed the developer had previously submitted details to NPG demonstrating the West Sleekburn project’s readiness for an earlier connection with “both planning and land rights in place.”
The delay however, occurred as a result of the Blyth grid supply point being removed from the distribution network operator’s (DNOs) Delegated Technical Limits connections acceleration programme due to “technical reasons,” despite being previously highlighted as an area where acceleration was possible.
As of yet, there is no fixed timeline as to when this decision will be reconsidered.
Marsh called the new delay a “major setback” and noted Enviromena was “extremely disappointed with the latest delay, which has left a key project without a feasible connection date despite being ready to construct.”
“We have seen other network operators across the country accelerate connection dates by as much as thirteen years in recent weeks and we hope a similar resolution can be found for the Sleekburn project,” Marsh added.
Enviromena is looking to expand its UK portfolio in the coming years, as evidenced by the organisation’s recent announcement stating its intention to add over 500MW of UK solar capacity by 2025.