The new battery energy storage system will be the 12th development Apatura has built in two years
Apatura, a renewable energy developer, has received planning consent for a new grid-scale 24MW / 48MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) located eight miles southwest of Glasgow. This will be the 12th BESS development that the company has been approved for in the last two years
A BESS is an advanced technology system designed to store electrical energy during periods of high generation and low demand so that it can be exported back into the grid during times of high demand.
Located on Parkhouse Road near Barrhead, BESS will consist of 12 battery units, four power conversion systems (PCS) units and other associated infrastructure. The site is nine acres and will be screened from all directions with native planting, including a sustainable urban drainage (SuD) basin. After 40 years of operation, the land will be restored to its original condition.
The site was chosen for its proximity to Crookston Station so that it can connect, collect, store and discharge renewably generated energy from the substation to the grid when needed.
The planning applications committee report from Glasgow City Council confirmed that the proposed site complies with planning policy and is “in accordance with the [2017 Glasgow City] Development Plan” regarding planning applications and land use.
The report also stated, “The proposed development would contribute to the storage of excess electricity and would assist in the decarbonisation of the energy sector, allowing flexibility in the grid to respond to peaks and troughs in demand. In this regard, the development would be considered to provide a positive contribution in addressing the global climate crisis.”
Commenting on the news, Apatura’s Chief Development Officer, Andrew Philpott, said, “This latest project approval is another step in Apatura’s mission to deliver the infrastructure that the UK needs to decarbonise its energy supply and move to a renewables-based system.
“Battery storage is essential for maintaining an energy grid’s stability and resilience. It’s also integral for achieving more stable energy prices and cheaper household bills, and for meeting the UK’s net zero targets to tackle the climate crisis.
Philpott continued, “Projects like our planned development at Barrhead also benefit the local community in terms of creating new jobs for the construction, operational, and decommissioning phases of the project, and in the supply chain and related services as well."
“BESS is integral to Scotland and the entire UK’s transition to cheaper renewable energy, a low-carbon economy, and a cleaner, healthier future for the country,” he concluded.
The latest approval comes after the news in July that Apatura had secured planning consent for a new 560MW / 1120MWh BESS project eight miles northeast of Glasgow.
Apatura has secured permission to build a combined total of over 2.2GW in electricity storage capacity sites across central Scotland.
