Public consultation launched for new battery energy storage system near Staythorpe

2022-06-24 21:51:45 By : Mr. JAMESON LAI

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Residents are being invited to have their say on plans for an energy storage facility that could store enough electricity to power thousands of homes in an emergency.

The proposal is for a site next to the National Grid’s Staythorpe substation to house a battery energy storage system (BESS) capable of storing at least 400 MWh of energy.

At present, it is suggested there would be 318 containers for storing energy with every two to six batteries accompanied by a DC inverter.

Access to the site will be from Staythorpe Road.

The proposal also includes infrastructure to safely transfer energy between and the Staythorpe National Grid, including a new substation.

Ecap-Renewables, the company behind the project, claims energy storage infrastructure is needed to ensure reliability and stability as the UK’s electricity supply switches to green power. The company is holding the public consultation to gather feedback on the proposals before submitting their planning application.

The proposed BESS at Staythorpe would be utilised to provide reliable power during peak demand periods and increase renewable energy integration into the grid. It would be able to export 200MWh at any given moment, and have the capacity to store at least 400MWh of energy.

According to Ofgem statistics, where an average UK household consumes 8 KWh of electricity a day, 200 MWh could provide enough electricity for 25,000 homes in the same period, equivalent to 68.49 households per year.

The company has addressed concerns about the development's impact on the surrounding landscape and environment stating it is committed to delivering a biodiversity net gain across the site. And, to achieve this, specific areas of the site will be dedicated to biodiversity and wildlife enhancements.

Ecap-Renewables has also predicted this BESS could prevent approximately 1.8m tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere between its energisation and 2050, based on government estimates of the amount of utility-scale energy storage required to facilitate a net-zero energy system.

Commenting on the launch of the consultation, Elena Sarieva of Ecap-Renewables said: “Energy Storage, including our proposals for a Battery Energy Storage System in Staythorpe, will play an important role in making our energy supply greener, cheaper, more reliable, and more resilient in the future.

"This site presents an ideal opportunity for energy storage, being adjacent to the existing National Grid substation, as well as being relatively flat and benefitting from good access.

"However, we recognise the need to deliver these projects sensitively and we want to talk with local communities to understand their views and listen to their ideas."

She also encouraged anyone with an interest in the project to take part in the public consultation, insisting that all feedback received would help them to develop their proposals more thoroughly before the planning application was officially submitted.

The public consultation will run until Sunday, July 10.

An in-person event will also be held during this time so that residents can have their say and find out more. This will be held on Thursday, June 30, from 3pm to 7.30pm at the Robin Hood Theatre in Averham.