Scottish Government approves Smeaton battery storage system

By Peter A Walker Content Editor

The Scottish Government has granted consent for the construction and operation of the Smeaton battery energy storage system (BESS).

The 228MW:456MWh project near Dalkeith is set to achieve estimated carbon savings of roughly 15,368 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year. This is the equivalent of offsetting the emissions from 17,328 average UK homes - not including heating.

With the nearby Torness nuclear power station due to shut down in 2028, the project should play a key role in improving local network stability.

Developer Kona Energy was advised by Opus Corporate Finance and will shortly be seeking investment to bring the Smeaton project to market.

To support the project’s delivery, Dr Lu Zhang, previously with Chinese cell manufacturer Hithium, has joined Kona as technical director.

Kona Energy's founder Andy Willis commented: “This project represents a significant step forward in decarbonising the UK’s electricity grid while providing tangible and real benefits in terms of cost reduction and energy security.

“Tackling constraint costs is vital in not only bringing down consumer bills and preventing the costly waste of clean generation, but also for retaining public trust in reaching net zero.

“The huge financial burden of prohibiting wind turbines from operating is becoming a more relevant topic in the wider debate - rightly so.

“Our industry must do more to tackle this, and projects such as the Smeaton BESS will help to significantly reduce the waste involved.”

-Source: Insider.co.uk