The Scottish Government has granted planning consent for a 200-megawatt (MW) battery energy storage system (BESS) to be developed by ILI Group in North Lanarkshire, further expanding the country’s renewable energy infrastructure.
The approval was issued by the Energy Consents Unit (ECU), the department responsible for managing energy infrastructure applications in Scotland. The North Lanrigg BESS project follows a similar 100MW facility at Learielaw in West Lothian, which received consent in May.
Hamilton-based ILI Group said the project is “Gate 2-ready” and aligned with CP30 targets. It expects the battery facility to be connected to the grid by 2028.
“North Lanrigg is a major milestone for us – not only because of its scale, but because it reflects the strength of our development model and the demand for flexible grid infrastructure,” said Mark Wilson, chief executive of ILI Group. “These are the kinds of nationally significant assets that will underpin a fully renewable energy system.”
The company is currently seeking Gate 2 grid connection offers for 1.05GW of its battery projects, with decisions anticipated by the end of 2025. If successful, ILI Group will hold one of the UK’s largest portfolios of ready-to-build battery storage projects, with planning permission, land agreements, and grid connections in place.
To date, the firm has sold 450MW of battery assets, which are now under construction or in operation. Its wider development pipeline totals 3.6GW, including 1.4GW of pumped storage hydro and 2.2GW of large-scale battery storage.
