Scottish Ministers have granted consent under Section 36 of the of the Electricity Act and deemed planning permission for the construction and operation of a 700 megawatt capacity battery energy storage system at Port Glasgow, Inverclyde.

This is the largest planning consent for a stand-alone BESS in Scotland to date and the biggest ever secured by our clients, Apatura Energy, marking a significant milestone in the company’s mission to deliver sustainable energy solutions that fast-track the path to net zero. It is also the fourth consent which AAH consultants have achieved on behalf of Apatura in less than 12 months and we expect more to follow soon.

In granting consent, Scottish Ministers concluded that the proposal ‘will contribute to sustainable development, providing for greater and more efficient use of renewable energy generation in the electricity system, and in this regard, it will contribute to greenhouse gas emissions reduction ambitions.’

Grid scale battery energy storage provides a means to store the electricity generated from the wind, solar etc at times when electricity generation outstrips demand or when the capacity of a constrained electricity grid is insufficient to supply the generated electricity to consumers. On this basis battery energy storage makes an indirect but significant contribution to renewable energy generation targets and greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, by effectively increasing the productivity of renewable generators elsewhere on the grid. In granting consent, Scottish Ministers acknowledged this to be a significant factor weighing in favour of the development. They also explicitly acknowledged that the scheme comprises essential infrastructure and is therefore justified within the green belt.

At 700 MW capacity, the BESS will make a substantial contribution to the Scottish Government’s goal of generating 50% of Scotland’s overall energy consumption from renewable sources, and by 2050 to have decarbonised its energy system almost completely. It is therefore critical to meeting the UK Government’s commitment to achieving Net Zero as set out in the Climate Change Act 2008 (2050 Target Amendment) Order 2019.

Rob Crolla, Development Director at AAH Consultants, said: "This is another fantastic result for AAH Consultants that will significantly contribute to Apatura's goal of delivering sustainable energy solutions that will fast-track the path to net zero. It also continues to reinforce AAH Consultants' expertise in the energy infrastructure sector."

AAH consultants worked closely with the Scottish Energy Consents Unit and Inverclyde Council to achieve this success which will not only bring grid resilience and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions but will also create local job opportunities and a Community Benefit Fund.