An artist’s impression of the 200MW Pond Energy Park in Scotland. Image: OnPath Energy.

A 200MW battery energy storage system (BESS) in Bathgate, Scotland, has passed through West Lothian Council’s utive committee with no objections.

Ministers at the Scottish government’s Energy Consents Unit will now consider the proposals and decide whether to grant consent. 

The 200MW/400MWh 2-hour duration BESS, named the Pond Energy Park, is being pursued by renewable energy developer OnPath Energy, formerly Banks Renewables, with hopes to be operational by 2031. The project is expected to have an operational lifespan of 25 years.

Billy Weir, the chair of Bathgate Community Council, believes the project represents a “significant step towards a greener and more sustainable future, not just for Bathgate, but for Scotland as a whole”.

The large-scale BESS will store renewable energy when consumer demand is low and then release it to help balance the national grid when demand spikes. This will complement variable renewable energy generation projects in the local vicinity, such as wind and solar PV.

The project is expected to create approximately 80 jobs during construction, with an estimated £1.6 million in annual wages. Additionally, Pond will contribute around £950,000 in annual business rates to support essential local services, such as schools, hospitals, and other public resources.

Over £1 million will also be available as part of a community benefit proposal, which will be available for community-led investment over the project’s lifetime.  

Weird added: “Community involvement will be key to the success of this project, and we are committed to ensuring that local people benefit from the positive economic and social value that this project could bring.  

“As with all our projects, we’ve made sure to work closely with the local community throughout the planning process, and we are confident that this project will bring considerable economic and environmental benefits to the region.”

Scotland’s ‘largest’ standalone BESS gets planning approval

Elsewhere in Scotland, energy storage specialist Apatura received planning approval last month for a 700MW BESS in Inverclyde, which the company claims will be Scotland’s largest standalone BESS.

The BESS will be situated on around 16.39 hectares of land near Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, with permission secured for the construction of 240 BESS units, 140 BESS transformers, 280 BESS inverters, three 33kV switchrooms, a 400kV control building, and a 400kV to 33kV transformer compound.

Inverclyde Council’s Energy Consents Unit approved the permission on 11 September with no objections lodged by the council. The Decision Letter from the approval praises Apatura for its good practice in community engagement.

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