Swindon Borough Council has submitted a planning application for a battery storage facility with a capacity of up to 50MW/50MWh.
If consented, it would enable the council, or eventual asset owners, to earn revenues from grid balancing services and would be one of the largest UK standalone batteries developed to date.
The application has been made by Public Power Solutions, which is wholly owned by the council.
“Rapid technological advances have now made energy storage a viable proposition,” said PPS head of power solutions, Steve Cains.
“This has the potential to be a real game changer, helping to integrate the variable generation from renewables, reduce costs for consumers, and build a clean energy system fit for the future.”
Cains added the firm would “like to help other local authorities develop similar projects”.
Cllr Toby Elliott, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Sustainability, said the project was both “exciting” and necessary, given the funding constraints faced by councils. Swindon must close a £30m funding gap over the next two and a half years.
If planning consent is obtained, the project is expected to be operational by 2019.
See the planning application here.
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I’m surprised there’s no mention of the capacity, only the power. 50 Megawatts charge / discharge. But for how long can it deliver that 50 MW? 10 seconds maybe? Or several hours?
Probably too early to say. Document says ‘up to 50MW’ and hard to see it being less than 30 mins, but asked the question of PPS.
PPS has now confirmed it will be up to 50MWh.