Renewable Power Capital (RPC) and development partner Greenfield have secured planning permission for two new battery energy storage system (BESS) projects in England, bringing their total UK consented capacity to nearly 195 megawatts (MW), the companies said on Tuesday.
The newly approved projects include the 60MW Canalside site in Staffordshire and the 22MW Sacketts Hill project in Kent. Both are designed to connect to the distribution network and are expected to take between eight and twelve months to construct.
Once operational, the projects will support grid stability by storing and dispatching electricity in line with demand fluctuations, aligning with the UK’s broader energy transition goals.
“Securing planning permission for two additional BESS projects totalling 82MW is a testament to the strength and longevity of our partnership with Greenfield,” said Cyrille Sokpor, senior vice president for UK and Poland development at RPC. “Battery energy storage is so vital to driving the energy transition and helping ensure grid stability in line with the UK government’s 2030 clean power mission.”
David Ring, UK managing director at Greenfield, added that the projects “demonstrate how battery storage can deliver real flexibility to the grid while enhancing biodiversity at a local level.”
According to the developers, Canalside is expected to deliver a 49.51% net gain in area-based habitat and a 31.68% improvement in linear habitats. Sacketts Hill is projected to provide a 125% net biodiversity gain.
While Canalside has a 2029 grid connection date and Sacketts Hill is scheduled for 2031, both have been submitted for gate two advancement in an effort to accelerate grid access.
The latest approvals follow earlier consents for battery storage projects in Cardiff, Tredington, and Steventon, which together total 112.7MW. Since forming their partnership in 2023, RPC and Greenfield have expanded their joint development pipeline to more than 5.5 gigawatts (GW) across Great Britain, Italy, and Finland.
