THE green light has been given for a battery energy storage facility in North Ayrshire.
The Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit consulted North Ayrshire Council on an application for the construction and operation of a battery energy storage system (BESS) in Ardrossan, with a capacity of more than 50 megawatts.
Battery storage, or battery energy storage systems (BESS), are devices that enable energy from renewables.
Consent is required from ministers for the construction of such facilities with a capacity exceeding 50 megawatts.
The site is largely to the north and north west of High Boydstone Farm, which is operated as a skip hire business with a waste transfer and recycling facility.
The site is some five hectares in area and the land is currently used for rough grazing.
Ardrossan High Road runs through the middle of the site, effectively creating two compounds. The site is relatively flat with a slight rise from east to west. The site effectively sits at a lower level to the immediately surrounding landscape.
The compound on the western side of Ardrossan Road would house the battery storage equipment enclosed by a security fence. The indicative information provided suggests that the battery containers would be some 2.9m high, with the associated plant and equipment, including auxiliary transformers and switchgear, being between 2.17m and 2.9m high.
A water tank at 3.5m high would be located in this compound and the security fence would be some 3m high.
The southern side of the equipment would have an acoustic fence four metres high.
The compound on the eastern side of Ardrossan Road would house high-voltage transformers and a sub-station area including workers facilities, again enclosed by a three metres high security fence.
The transformers would be up-to some 6.5m high with the facilities building being some four metres high. A bund would be created to the east of the eastern compound and the application site would be enclosed by a 1.2m stock fence.
The site would be landscaped with woodland edge and tree planting to the west and east. The internal areas not covered by hard-standing landscaping would be a mix of meadow and wetland meadow planting.
Tree and hedgerow planting would occur on the northern and southern boundaries with tree specimens also planted on the hedgerow facing the road.
Councillors approved the application at the Planning Committee on Wednesday.
