AAH Consultants secure consent for 100 MW Battery Energy Storage System in Angus, Scotland for their client, Apatura

Scottish Ministers have granted consent under Section 36 of the of the Electricity Act and deemed planning permission for the construction and operation of the battery energy storage system near Dundee.

At 100 megawatts capacity, the development will be one of the largest battery energy storage schemes operating in the UK. It is the fifth consent which AAH consultants have achieved on behalf of Apatura in less than 12 months and we expect more to follow soon.

The 2.5 hectare site is located in open countryside 6.7km north of Dundee and 1.8km south-west of the village of Tealing in the county of Angus. The proposed new facility will consist of 52 lithium-ion batteries securely housed in steel containers and will be directly connected by an underground grid cable to the nearby Tealing substation. The proximity of the existing substation makes the site an ideal location for energy storage. To minimise disruption to the local environment, the development will include new native species tree planting which will deliver a biodiversity net gain at the site.

Angus Council lodged no objections to the proposed development, noting that it would contribute towards meeting government energy targets and is generally  policy compliant.  In their decision letter Scottish Ministers noted that the proposed  development will  store  and supply a considerable amount of electricity per year, and act as an enabling technology for harnessing more electricity generated from renewable sources in Scotland. They also acknowledged the potential economic benefits arising from the construction project and the scheme’s contribution to underpinning energy security and flexibility.

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.

At 100 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. The scheme is also critical in helping to meet the UK Government’s commitment to achieving Net Zero.

AAH consultants worked closely with the Scottish Energy Consents Unit and Angus Council to achieve this success which will not only bring grid resilience and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions but will also boost the local economy.