Enso Energy and Enso Green Holdings V Limited are preparing a full planning application for the construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) for distribution of electricity to the National Grid. The Proposed Development would operate for a period of 40 years.  

  

The connection to the Grid will be made at the National Grid Drakelow Substation, located approximately 450m west of the BESS compound. The cable would run below ground from the boundary of the Site directly to the point of connection. 

  

The BESS charges with electricity from the grid during periods of low demand and then discharges that electricity during periods of high demand. The BESS can contribute to grid stability by offering frequency control services to the National Grid. Effective energy storage will allow significant increases in intermittent renewable generation from wind and solar onto the UK electricity system by allowing the balance of supply and demand. 

  

The main components of the Proposed Development comprise: 

 

• Battery storage facility comprising a series of linked batteries housed within shipping containers (or containers of similar appearance); 

• Inverter/transformer stations with cooling equipment and associated electrical infrastructure distributed evenly across the site housed within metal containers; 

• Underground cabling to connect the batteries and inverters/transformer stations to the proposed on-site 132kV substation and control room, which comprises the plant and equipment necessary to export the electricity stored on-site to the electricity network; 

• Underground cabling from the BESS to the point of connection at National Grid Drakelow Substation; 

• Acoustic boundary fencing and monitoring CCTV/infra-red cameras mounted along the perimeter of the BESS Site; 

• Landscape planting, biodiversity enhancements and surface water attenuation measures;  

• Land for the temporary construction laydown area and site access from the public highway.

  

This website has been prepared so we can formally introduce the emerging proposals with you and, crucially, ask for your thoughts and feedback. Your comments will help to shape the final planning application that will be submitted to South Derbyshire District Council (SDDC).