Developer Exagen gets approval for 1GWh UK BESS
The Blaby District Council has given the green light to renewable energy and storage developer Exagen to develop a 500MW/1,000MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Leicestershire.
Exagen plans to build the two-hour duration Normanton Energy Reserve BESS on land to the northeast of Earl Shilton.
Exagen submitted plans for the battery asset in January 2023, as reported by Solar Power Portal, and confirmed that the project would be capable of providing enough power for 80% of the homes in the county. £270 million in financing is set to be allocated to the project and will connect directly into a new substation owned by National Grid.
Although the energisation date has not been finalised, Exagen plans to commission the project in 2029, and operate the project for 40 years.
It is worth noting that the BESS will be one of the largest in capacity to gain planning permission in the UK. Carlton Power’s 1040MW/2080MWh Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park in Greater Manchester earned planning consent in July 2024, and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) confirmed that it plans to build a 500MW/1,000MWh BESS in Scotland in December.
Although UK BESS projects appear to be growing in size, these are still eclipsed by some global schemes, as covered by our sister site Energy-Storage.news.
This should, however, not draw away from the importance of this scheme. As referenced by Jeremy Littman, CEO at Exagen Development, there “needs to be an increase in electricity storage capacity to balance renewable energy generation” in order for the UK to attain its 2050 net zero target.
“As more renewables are deployed, larger battery projects like Normanton will be required,” Littman added.
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