Renewable energy storage specialist Apatura has received planning consent to build a new grid-scale 560MW / 1120 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) near the town of Clydebank in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland.
The 29-hectare site is the eleventh BESS development that Apatura has secured planning permission for in the last two years. With this latest approval, Apatura has now secured permission to build a combined total of more than 2.1 GW in electricity storage capacity at sites across central Scotland.
The planned development is located on land adjacent to Cochno Road, two miles from Clydebank and eight miles from the city of Glasgow. The new site will connect via an underground cable to the Windyhill substation 560 meters away and also the Drumchapel substation two miles away.
Andrew Philpott, Chief Development Officer at Apatura, said, “The Whitehall project is in a carefully chosen strategic location that will directly support the UK’s energy security strategy. Once commissioned, it will play a key role in providing the resilient infrastructure network needed for a net-zero future.”
Philpott explained, “Battery storage plays a major role in Scotland and the wider UK’s transition to a low-carbon energy system and economy. Projects like Whitehall will directly contribute to stabilizing energy prices and reducing bills for households and businesses and are also integral to the UK’s goals of cutting emissions and boosting energy independence and security.”
Philpott concluded by saying, “Apatura is committed to opening up access to affordable clean energy for Scotland and the entire UK. Our BESS projects are an essential part of the wider nationwide effort to upgrade and future-proof the country’s energy infrastructure to meet our expanding energy needs in a sustainable way.”
In the Decision Letter granting consent, Scottish ministers said they “regard the proposed development as essential infrastructure. Through the provision of energy storage, it adds flexibility and resilience necessary to maintain secure and reliable supplies of energy to all our homes and businesses as our energy transition takes place.”
This latest consent follows the news last month that Apatura had secured planning permission for two new battery storage developments – a 100MW / 200 MWh project in Killwinning, North Ayrshire and a 50 MW / 100 MWh project at East Kilbride in South Lanarkshire.
A BESS is an advanced technology system designed to store electrical energy during periods of high generation and low demand, which can then be exported back into the grid network during periods of high demand.
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