NatPower consults on 1 GW UK BESS project

Public consultation for a 1 GW battery energy storage project (BESS) in North Yorkshire, England, will open on Nov. 29 with a town hall meeting hosted by the project’s developer.

NatPower is consulting with the public on its BESS proposal ahead of making a planning application to the North Yorkshire Council. The developer has proposed constructing a large-scale BESS and a transmission connected substation at the proposed Mowbray site. NatPower will also include tree planting activity in a bid to support local wildlife and screen the site, according to the developer.

NatPower’s 1 GW Mowbray BESS is one of seven utility-scale storage projects the developer has proposed for the United Kingdom, six of which would have a power output of 1 GW or higher. Other NatPower projects in the early stages of development include a 1.3 GW BESS in Nottinghamshire, England, and the 1 GW Ynni Celyn Energy Storage project in Denbighshire, Wales. The developer claims it intends to deliver more than 60 GWh of energy storage across the United Kingdom by 2040.

In addition to revealing detailed plans for the BESS project, NatPower is expected to unveil details of a charitable foundation to support sustainability measures in communities across the United Kingdom. NatPower claims that should the project go ahead, its Community Energy Transition Foundation will invest in local initiatives that support the transition to net zero power generation.

Once energized, NatPower claims its 1 GW BESS projects would contribute around GBP 1 million ($1.27 million) each year to their local areas.

North Yorkshire Council will carry out its own statutory consultation once NatPower submits its planning application.