Canadian Solar subsidiary Recurrent Energy and Windel Energy have submitted a planning application for a 150MW battery energy storage system (BESS).
The Buckland BESS is set to sit on 13.5 acres of land west of the village of Buckland Ripers, near Weymouth in Dorset. The proposed site sits directly adjacent to the already operational Nottington Lane Solar Farm, a 5MWp development owned by Wessex Solar Energy. If approved, the development will connect to the grid via the nearby Chickerell substation.
Before submitting this application, surveying work on the site ahead of the application has been ongoing since summer 2023, with community consultation taking place in autumn of the same year. Neither developer has confirmed when construction could begin if planning consent is granted.
Speaking about the application, Jamie Knott, MD at Windel Energy said: “This is a very positive development proposal which has the potential to support local and national renewable energy generation, strengthen the resilience of the National Grid and support Dorset Council’s climate goals.
“We very much look forward to working both with the council and the local community to bring this scheme to life, deliver real environmental and community benefits and help drive the transition to a more sustainable future.”
Harry Wilder, head of business development UK at Recurrent Energy, added: “This exciting project has the potential to significantly strengthen the National Grid and energy infrastructure in Dorset, supporting and facilitating the transition to renewable energy generation and a more sustainable future in the UK.”
Windel and Recurrent partnerships
If approved, this project could be the next in a long series of joint projects between Recurrent Energy and Windel Energy.
Earlier this week, a partnership between the two firms known as Fosse Green Energy announced that it was holding statutory consultations for a new solar and storage project to be located in Lincolnshire. Although exact capacity for the project has not yet been confirmed, the company noted that it would be above the 50MW threshold for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) designation.
In July, the two firms were granted a development consent order (DCO) as part of a triple whammy of DCO approvals from newly-installed secretary of state for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband. The DCO was granted for the 350MW Mallard Pass Solar Farm, also to be located in Lincolnshire, following a planning process that saw repeated roadblocks and delays from Miliband’s predecessor, Claire Coutinho.
Just three days later, the pair secured another win when planning permission was granted for the Harker BESS, a 200MW/400MWh 2-hour duration development to be located near Carlisle. While construction is now able to begin on this project, this is unlikely to begin until Q4 2029, unless an expedited grid connection date can be agreed.
Smaller projects also form part of the collaborative history between Windel Energy and Recurrent Energy, with the two landing planning permission for a 9.9MW solar farm in Wales in June of this year.
