Energy storage system near M1 set for approval

Plans for an energy storage system near the M1 in Derbyshire are set to be given the go-ahead.

Bolsover District Council's planning committee is recommended to approve proposals from Lightsource bp on Wednesday to build a 99.9MW energy storage system on land at Hurst Farm, off Mansfield Road in Tibshelf.

Energy storage systems comprise individual battery containers and other infrastructure. They store electricity in batteries and release it back into the network when needed, helping balance supply and demand.

According to planning documents, the proposed facility would occupy a site of 7.9 hectares (19.5 acres) and make a "valuable contribution" to energy storage capacity in the UK.

A council report says many sources of renewable energy are dependent on particular conditions, such as sun or wind, and without methods of storing energy the energy would be wasted.

It adds battery energy storage systems provide a way of capturing energy when it is produced and saving that energy for times when it is needed.

Planning documents state: "Opportunities to deliver renewable energy installations, of the scale proposed here, are constrained by capacity limitations on the National Grid.

"The proposed development provides a valuable opportunity to contribute a significant amount of renewable energy into the UK's energy supply."

According to plans, the proposed facility would be decommissioned and returned to agricultural land after 40 years.

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