Plans lined up by Boat of Garten for one of Scotland's very first battery energy storage facilities
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Plans for one of the very first battery energy storage facilities in Scotland have been lodged for a site by Boat of Garten.
Whirlwind Energy Storage is behind the proposal lodged with Highland Council's planning service for the 49 megawatts facility on land 380 metres west of East Croftmore Farm.
It would accommodate up to 50 battery storage units housed within containers along with ancillary structures at the site one kilometre north-east of the village.
The applicants state: “It is envisaged that the battery units would be based on steel shipping containers.
“The facility would provide rapid-response electrical back-up to the electricity grid and would represent an early deployment within Scotland of a high-tech grid balancing facility, of a type which is already seeing significant deployment in the USA, Australia and other parts of the world.
“It would also provide employment opportunities through the construction, operation and maintenance of the project.”
The site would draw power from the Grid, store it and release it at times of higher customer demand.
It means power generated by wind farms and other renewable schemes can be used more efficiently. The technology is predicted to become widespread over the next decade.
Leeds-based Whirlwind Energy Storage has also moved to allay fears of the risk of a widespread blaze at the site.
They note all UK fire and rescue services are now trained to deal with lithium-ion fires due to the increasing number installed in electric vehicles, homes and businesses and any outbreak would be contained to a single container.
The company states in its report submitted to council planners earlier this week: “As far as the applicant is aware, there are, to date, no instances of a modern, containerised lithium-ion battery system of the type proposed here catching fire.
“In the very limited number of cases where fires have occurred at energy storage sites elsewhere, these have been limited in extent, have been related to battery systems of a different type and chemistry to those proposed at Boat of Garten, and relate to systems which are no longer manufactured.”
The firm has also said the visual impact of the development will be kept to a minimum.
The Cairngorms National Park Authority is expected to call in the application for determination.
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