Bristol-based developer Aura Power has been granted planning permission for a 100MW/400MWh battery energy storage project.
The 4-hour duration battery energy storage project will be located in Capenhurst, Cheshire, and feed directly into the local substation. Planning permission was granted by Cheshire West and Chester Council.
Aura’s Capenhurst battery asset is not the only 4-hour duration project being developed in the British market. In September, Fluence and Norwegian state-owned firm Statkraft partnered to deliver a 4-hour battery energy storage project in Ireland.
This BESS is able to discharge 20MW for up to four hours, longer than the typical duration deployed in the Irish market to-date, which has been between 30 minutes and two hours, Statkraft said.
It is worth noting that the Capenhurst battery storage project has become the third UK project to receive planning permission this year. This includes Aura’s 49.9MW Horton Solar Farm located in East Devon and its 49.9MW Hawthorn Pit Solar Farm in Durham.
The developer was previously granted planning permission for a 100MW battery energy storage system (BESS) at Drax in Yorkshire in late 2022. The site for the BESS was selected due to the available nearby grid connection required for import and export, with a grid connection secured at Drax Power Station – which is 600m from the site.
Aura has been active within the solar and battery industries with a pipeline in development in excess of 20GW.
George Wilyman, head of planning at Aura Power said: “We thank the Planning Committee Members and Officers at Cheshire West and Chester Council for working with us proactively in the determination of this application.
“Battery storage systems are a fundamental component in our electricity network and are critical to speed up the replacement of fossil fuels to facilitate the decarbonisation of the electricity grid. Cheshire West and Chester and the surrounding authorities are already home to a number of innovative low carbon projects and it is great to add this project to the North West leading the way to a low carbon future.”
Solar Power Portal’s publisher Solar Media will host the 9th annual Energy Storage Summit EU in London, 20-21 February 2024. This year it is moving to a larger venue, bringing together Europe’s leading investors, policymakers, developers, utilities, energy buyers and service providers all in one place. Visit the official site for more info.
