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Search the Public Notice PortalA major energy storage development at the former Roosecote Power Station site could move a significant step closer next week as councillors consider plans for a large-scale battery facility capable of storing and exporting electricity to the national grid.
The application, submitted by Centrica, would see the former power station site redeveloped as a 50MW battery energy storage system with officers recommending approval subject to conditions.
The proposal would use vanadium flow battery technology and is intended to provide long-duration energy storage, allowing electricity to be stored when supply is plentiful and released when demand is higher.
Planning documents indicate the development could operate for at least 40 years and would require a substantial construction programme involving the delivery of more than a thousand battery units to the site.
While the scheme has attracted attention because of its scale and location beside environmentally sensitive coastline, the applicant argues it would bring a disused brownfield site back into productive use while supporting the transition to a lower-carbon energy network.
According to the application, the technology proposed differs from more familiar lithium-ion battery systems because it uses liquid electrolytes and is designed specifically for long-duration storage.
Environmental issues have been a key focus during the planning process.
Earlier consultation responses raised questions about the possible impacts of construction activity on nearby habitats, including internationally important bird populations, as well as concerns relating to noise, lighting and site management.
However, planning officers conclude that mitigation measures proposed by the applicant, together with planning conditions, would address those concerns. Consultation responses from environmental bodies were reviewed during the assessment process and officers ultimately concluded that the development could proceed without causing unacceptable harm.
Supporters of the project point to the site's industrial history and existing energy infrastructure, arguing that Roosecote is one of the most suitable locations in the area for such a development.
Critics, meanwhile, are likely to focus on the scale of the proposal, its visual impact and the wider industrialisation of the coastline.
The recommendation means members of Westmorland and Furness Council's Barrow Local Area Planning Committee will now decide whether the arguments in favour of renewable-energy infrastructure outweigh the concerns that have been raised.
The application is due to be considered when the committee meets on September 8.
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