Regulators give green light to 114-megawatt battery storage unit in UK

07 09 2023 | 17:15George Heynes / IEEFA

Energy Storage News:

A 114MW battery energy storage system (BESS) being developed by EDF Renewables UK has been granted the greenlight for development.

The company, which is recognised as the UK renewable arm of French state-owned company EDF, received permission to develop the project, located near Norwich, from South Norfolk Council on Wednesday (30 August). This is following consultation with community and relevant bodies.

According to a statement by EDF Renewables UK, the project will be situated on land north of Hickling Lane, Swainsthorpe – just to the south of Norwich. To support biodiversity efforts, the project will see planting of new trees, new hedgerows and enhancements to a nearby pond.

EDF’s project will consist of 176 battery cubes along with power conversion systems and cooling units. Underground cabling will connect the battery asset to the Norwich Substation.

“We are delighted that South Norfolk Council has given the go-ahead for this battery scheme. As more of our lives are powered by electricity – from heating to cars – our energy system is changing, and batteries help to future-proof the grid and cost-effectively integrate more renewable power,” said Andrew Elliott, project manager of the Norwich battery project at EDF Renewables UK.

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