A multi-million-pound, 30MW battery storage system is being proposed for a site near Blyth in Northumberland to further enhance the area’s Green Industrial Renaissance.
Previously, this same site at Sleekburn had permission for a gas hub but now one of the UK’s leading clean energy solutions companies, Enviromena, wants to build a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) there. Enviromena’s proposed BESS would have an expandable zero-carbon, 30MW 2-hour solution and would help to balance power supply at peak times.
Enviromena’s application comes at a time when UK consumers’ energy prices have increased by 54% because of the unpredictability of fossil fuel supply now caused by the war in Ukraine. Home-grown renewable energy solutions, such as the Sleekburn BESS project proposed by Enviromena, are seen as one of the best solutions to reduce industrial and consumer energy costs as well as ensure a more stable UK energy future.
BESSs are an essential component of the UK Government’s strategy to hit its 2030 renewable targets when it’s predicted that almost 10% of grid capacity will have to be provided by battery storage. Currently, UK battery storage deployment is rising with a 20GW+ pipeline of utility-scale battery storage projects across 800 projects.
The announcement from Enviromena follows the approval of plans by the Northumberland County Council forJDR Cable Systems’ plant on the former coal-fired power station at Cambois, near Blyth, which will manufacture undersea cables for offshore energy projects. This £130m investment will provide more than 200 jobs.
The northeast is also leading the way globally in offshore wind technology. In 2000, the UK’s first wind farm was installed at Blyth. Further, when the Dogger Bank Wind farm is completed 130km off the northeast coast in 2026, it will be the world’s largest with its 277 giant turbines delivering power to six million UK homes.
Enviromena’s European Sales Director, Lee Adams, said: “I’m delighted to report that initial public engagement for Enviromena’s proposed battery scheme at Sleekburn is extremely positive.
“The site, which is coincidentally close to the Britishvolt gigafactory in Blyth, represents a significant investment by Enviromena. It is a tremendously exciting project for us because it not only supports the increase in renewable wind power coming off the northeast coast, but also underlines our commitment to the area’s Green Industrial Renaissance and the UK’s broader renewable ambitions.”
He added: “If our application is successful this autumn, we would replace a previous permission for a gas generator with a clean energy solution. As a company and a country, I believe this is exactly where we want to be.”
Enviromena is one of the UK’s largest clean energy solutions companies and has more than 1GW of active solar farms and battery energy storage systems in development and operation throughout the UK and Europe.