A £130 MILLION battery storage facility’s planning permission in West Lothian has been approved by the Scottish Government.
The proposal for the 200-megawatt battery storage facility was submitted in May 2024 and has now been given the green light by the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit (ECU).
OnPath Energy, an onshore renewables developer who are behind the project, said they expect to create around 80 jobs in the local community during construction of the facility.
When fully charged, the two-hectare site will have the capacity to meet peak electricity demands for approximately 240,000 homes for two hours or sustain the average energy needs of around 600,000 households over the same period.
The facility, which will be located on Pond Industrial Estate near Bathgate, aims to store renewable energy when consumer demand is low and then release it back to the national grid when demand is high.
Michael Newton, sustainability developer at OnPath Energy, said the project would deliver £1m in community benefits over its lifetime.
“Battery storage sites such as Pond are going to have a huge role to play in achieving net zero,” he said.
“Not only that, but beyond its environmental impact, Pond will deliver significant social and economic benefits to the local economy.
“During construction, the project will support around 80 jobs, putting more than £1.6 million into the pockets of local workers, benefitting the local economy massively.
“Once up and running, it will contribute over £1,000,000 in community benefits over the lifetime of the project.
“We’re incredibly pleased that we are now at the stage where the site has been consented and we can look ahead to the construction phase of the project.”
OnPath Energy has already secured planning permissions for 16 wind farms across the UK.
Three are currently in operation across Scotland, with one in development, one under construction and another two renewable energy projects set to begin construction in the next three years.
Newton said that working closely with communities is “at the heart” of what OnPath Energy does, adding it’s something his team is “incredibly passionate about doing the right way”.
He also pledged that the local communities will be kept informed and involved “every step of the way”.
“It’s vital that we continue to build upon the strong relationships with everyone who will benefit from this exciting new facility,” Newton said.
