Cambridge Power gets green light for 100MW of UK storage

Cambridge Power has secured planning permission for a 100MW UK battery energy storage system facility in Staploe, Bedfordshire, adjoining the Eaton Socon grid substation.

A Cambridge Power statement said the project represented first site with planning permission that will benefit from a “technical grid connection solution” developed by UK Power Networks -  a distribution network operator for electricity covering South East England, the East of England and London - as part of its regional development programme (RDP). RDP’s are designed to unlock additional network capacity and reduce constraints by offering BESS a grid connection with “restrictions in use based around peak demand and peak generation times on the network”, Cambridge Power said.

The connection date for the Staploe project is 2024. “The hope is that National Grid will adopt this successful RDP solution as part of the grid remodelling exercise currently going through consultation, enabling significant capacity to connect to the UK grid network ahead of current suggested delays,” the Cambridge Power statement said.

Cambridge Power also said the site will “see significant biodiversity net gains provided as part of the scheme”. Extensive planting is proposed to provide “ecological benefit and landscape mitigation and achieve a very significant biodiversity net gain of 71 per cent”, the statement added. This includes a new tree-lined, native hedgerow along the existing site access track off Bushmead Road, new grassland habitat and extensive areas of scrubland and woodland blocks around the site to “assimilate the BESS into the landscape”.

Neil Waterson, head of planning at Cambridge Power said: “We are grateful for the support of all our consultants, including Engena, WSP, Turley, Orion Heritage and Hopkins Ecology in helping to achieve another positive outcome for Cambridge Power.”