We reported last week that Penso Power were holding a drop in event with more information about a proposed Battery Energy Storage System on land at Holmshaw Farm, Layhams Road. If you didn’t manage to go, but you’re interested, this is the information they shared.
We’ve transcribed these words from their information panels, so the following words are their own:
The site
- The site covers 15 acres/6ha of low grade agricultural land and is within close proximity, and easily connected, to the Rowdown 400kV National Grid electricity substation.
- The site is already well screened with existing trees and hedgerows, though new landscaping is proposed to further reduce the visual impact. This will take the form of planting new native hedgerows and native trees
- The facility does not need staff onsite, it is monitored remotely. Visits will be made to the site approximately once a month.
Access traffic and transport and footpaths
- Access to the site for construction and maintenance would be directly off Vulcan Way.
- Construction is expected to take approx. 18 months with, on average, sex deliveries per day
- Once built, the local traffic implications are very low; typically one van movement per month
- A Design and Access Statement, a detailed traffic assessment and a Construction Management Plan (avoiding deliveries at peak time and weekends) will be included in the planning application
- Footpaths that are near to the site will not be impacted by the proposal and will remain open both during construction and once the site is operational.
Ecology and environment
Like all land surrounding the substation, the site falls within the green belt. However it does not fall within any landscape protected areas.
A series of landscape and ecological enhancements will be made. The existing onsite trees and hedges will be retained.
There will be no harm to protected species, and significant biodiversity net gain enhancements will be proposed, this would include additional hedge and tree planting, bird and bat boxes, beehives, ponds, hibernacula showing of native wildflowers and grasses.
Landscaping
The hedgerows and tree lines will be retained and enhanced (except the access point off Vulcan Way). New tree planting will be included in the landscape design and a number of ecological enhancements will be implemented.
New native hedgerow and tree planting is proposed to infill gaps and screen the site from views from the footpaths.
Visibility
The site is well contained within the wider landscape. As the battery units are around 3m in height they are well shielded by existing and new vegetation surrounding the site.
Noise
Battery storage makes little noise and they only operate for certain parts of the day. At times of peak output, the noise level experienced is still low. The proposal is compatible with the adjoining industrial estates.
Ecology
A preliminary ecological assessment survey has been carried out which identified no requirement for further detailed surveys. The proposals will include mitigation during construction, where needed, to ensure no harm to flora and fauna, as well as biodiversity net gain enhancements.
Flooding
The site falls within Flood Zone 1: so it has a low risk of flooding.
Key benefits of the scheme
- Deployment of up to 250MW/625MHh of energy, the equivalent of powering 1.4million homes for 1 hour.
- Will help the region and the UK tackle the climate emergency.
- Delivers a biodiversity net gain on site by the planting of new native trees and hedgerows. Other ecological enhancements could bird and bat boxes, beehives, ponds, hibernacula showing of native wildflowers and grasses.
- Will enhance energy security and system resilience, ensuring there is sufficient capacity available to meet periods of peak demand.
- Battery storage helps balance variable electricity demand with intermittent supply to enable the addition of more renewable generation to our energy system, supporting lower emissions, lower costs and lower energy prices.
Why battery storage?
The UK’s electricity system was designed to carry electricity from the local coal and gas-fired power stations to local consumers. We are now replacing these local power stations with wind and solar generation, often a long way from customers.
The transition to distributed wind and solar energy creates two issues. First intermittency – the wind doesn’t always blow and the sun doesn’t always shine. Second, network constraints, meaning the inability of the UK grid to transport electricity from where it’s generated to where it’s needed.
Battery storage solves these two key challenges. Batteries store excess electricity when generation is higher than demand and release it when demand is high. This can help balance our electricity system and mitigate grid constraints, lessening the need for expensive and disruptive network upgrades.
Battery storage supports energy security and enables the addition of more renewable generation to our electricity system; thereby supporting lower emissions, lower costs and lower energy prices.
Why here?
- Locating energy storage within those areas of high demand, such as the South East of England, supports the resilience of our electricity system and provides security of supply to ensure there is sufficient capacity available to meet periods of peak demand.
- The National Grid Rowdown Substation is a major grid supply point and has near term connection capacity available for a BESS project of this size.
- This site has been chosen following an extensive site selection process. Close proximity to the Rowdown substation means the site can be connected with the minimum of disruption.
- Whilst the site is in the greenbelt, it is free from restrictive planning constraints and other constraints (such as proximity to housing)
- This project presents an opportunity to deploy much needed battery storage to support energy security both locally and nationally. It will also assist the Council in its Net Zero Action Plan.
If you have any thoughts about the proposal – either positive or negative – your local councillors will be at our AGM on 23 April at 7:45pm, The Assembly Halls, Gates Green Road. Please come along to hear from them.