Renewable energy developer Apatura has received planning consent for a 50-megawatt (MW) / 100 megawatt-hour (MWh) battery energy storage system (BESS) in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, marking the ninth such project approved for the company in the past 16 months.
The facility, to be constructed near East Kilbride, will connect to the local substation and is designed to store and discharge renewable energy into the UK’s national grid. The development spans approximately five-and-a-half acres and will include 16 battery container units, a substation building, and associated electrical infrastructure.
Local authorities concluded the project would have no significant long-term environmental impact on the surrounding green belt and acknowledged its contribution to national climate and energy targets. In its decision notice, the planning authority stated the development would “make a contribution towards tackling climate change, mitigation and adaptation, and would be a positive response to the global climate emergency and nature crisis.”
The battery site will be screened with native planting and is planned to operate for up to 40 years, after which the land will be restored to its previous condition.
Apatura’s Chief Development Officer Andrew Philpott said battery storage was critical to the UK’s renewable energy ambitions.
“Battery storage facilities like our planned development at East Kilbride underpin the ongoing expansion of the UK’s renewable energy generation capability,” Philpott said in a statement. “They make a significant contribution to enhancing UK grid security and grid stability and are integral to enabling our country to decarbonise its energy system and its economy and achieve its net zero targets.”
The project is also expected to generate employment and supply chain opportunities during construction and operation. “It will directly create jobs with the construction, operational, and decommissioning phases of the project, and also indirectly in the supply chain and related services,” Philpott added.
The approval follows a similar decision last week for a 40MW / 80MWh battery facility in Eaglesham, East Renfrewshire, approximately 10 miles from East Kilbride.
