Plans approved for 2.4 GWh battery in UK

Dorset Council, in the south west of England, has approved a planning application for a 400 MW/2.4 GWh lithium ion phosphate (LFP) battery site.

Statera Energy-owned applicant Chickerell Storage Ltd is planning to install six containerized MC Cube ESS battery units from Chinese manufacturer BYD across a 29.7 hectare site near an electric substation in Chickerell, near the town of Weymouth.

Construction is expected to take 18 months, according to planning documents published on the Dorset Council website.

Councillors voted to approve the application on Monday, July 29, 2024, despite objections from nearby residents. None of the statutory bodies consulted over the project lodged an objection to the plans but the planning documents note an application for a 60 MW battery 100 meter to the east of the Statera site was rejected on fire risk and location grounds in March 2024.

Statera’s proposals included four large water containers to help in the event of any fires. “However, each of the units would be self-contained, with their own independent monitoring and fire-suppression measures,” the developer said. Remote shut-down would also be enabled.

The Statera battery has secured a grid connection in 2028, via the Chickerell sub-station, according to the planning documents.

The site must be developed within five years of consent being issued.