Caithness energy storage facility to be decided at next week's north planning committee meeting
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PLANS to create a major energy storage facility in Caithness will be decided at a meeting next week. The application from Whirlwind Energy Storage Ltd will be before the members of Highland Council's north planning committee on Tuesday, October 18.
The company wants to build and operate up to 50 battery storage units, associated transformers and a switch/electrical control building, landscaping, fencing and ancillary infrastructure at a site south of Stainland, near Thurso.
The facility would operate for around 50 years and be capable of storing up to 49.9 megawatts of electricity and be arranged in pairs of 25 with each pair sharing a small transformer.
The raised units would measure 12.2 by 2.4 metres, with a maximum height of 3.5metres from the ground and an overall length of 20.3 metres.
In addition, there would be a new access track and access junction with the A9 as well as security fencing and four CCTV cameras at the site. Parking for three cars and a surface water drainage scheme is also included in the application.
A report which will be before the councillors states: "The proposed development would be used to store excess electricity from the national grid and then release this energy in periods of high demand. Therefore, the development must connect to the grid...The intention is to connect via the existing Thurso South substation approximately one kilometre to the south. It is anticipated that connection will be by buried cables rather than overhead lines, however this, along with the final route of the cable connection, are yet to be determined.
"Any wider overhead line proposals will be subject to a separate application submitted under Section 37 of the Electricity Act 1989 to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit, the determination of which will require further consultation with The Highland Council."
The site comprises 10 hectares of agricultural grazing with 2.3ha being developed for the facility and associated infrastructure, while the remainder would be landscaped to provide screening. The location is approximately 1.7 kilometres to the south-east of Thurso.
The report adds: "During operation of the development, the applicant has stated that typical traffic to the site will be one or two vans per month for maintenance purposes. The impact will, however, be greater during the nine month construction period where construction machinery, aggregate and other materials will be delivered to site.
"The applicant anticipates that the peak of construction traffic will be in month six when batteries and transformers are delivered along with cable, mechanical, and electrical equipment and supplies are being delivered to the site. Months four and seven will also generate higher than average HGV movements to and from site."
The recommendation is that the committee grant the application subject to a number of conditions relating to road safety, environmental protection, landscaping, minimising disturbance to local residents during the construction process and for visual amenity.
Whirlwind Energy Storage Ltd, which has its registered offices in West Yorkshire, says such facilities are expected to be "commonplace within the next 10 years".
It claims the Stainland Energy Storage Project would provide "rapid response back-up to the electricity grid of a type which is seeing significant deployment in the USA, Australia and other parts of the world".
Employment opportunities would be created through the construction, operation and maintenance phases of the development, adds the company.
