Scotland approves more than 900 MW of BESS in one week

Almost 1 GW of battery energy storage (BESS) projects were added to Scotland’s pipeline in a seven-day period at the start of May. The projects were approved through Section 36 consent orders issued by the Scottish Government to generation projects with capacity greater than 50 MW.

Four projects with a combined power output totaling 905 MW were approved by the government’s Energy Consent Unit between May 6 and May 12. Each is located in east or northeast Scotland, a region with significant wind generation capacity.

There were two 300 MW BESS projects in the group: the Mossmorran BESS in Fife developed by Gresham House, and Kintore Energy Storage Facility, Aberdeenshire, developed by Alcemi Storage Developments Limited. No MWh capacity figures were included in the consent orders, but Alcemi confirmed to ESS News that the approval is flexible and would mean at least a 600 MWh BESS with potential for a 1.2 GWh system.

The approval means Alcemi has secured consent for 3.6 GWh of BESS in the United Kingdom and ESS News understands the company views Germany as a key market as it continues its ramp up.

Island Green Power also secured a consent order for its Kinmuck BESS project in Aberdeenshire, which the company said would have enough capacity to deliver 105 MW for four hours, suggesting a 420 MWh system. The 200 MW Salters BESS project in Midlothian, near Edinburgh, was also granted consent. It is being developed by Buccleuch, one of Scotland’s biggest landowners.

The flurry of consent orders for utility-scale BESS is the latest in a line of major battery energy storage projects to secure Scottish Government approval. These include a 456 MW BESS in Gretna which ESS News understands to have potential to accommodate 3.6 GWh to 4.6 GWh at the site, the 500 MW Braston New Energy BESS granted consent on April 23, and a 900 MW/1.8 GWh BESS development approved in Perth and Kinross in November 2024. 

Developer Zenobe also secured consent for a 200 MW BESS in Coalburn, South Lanarkshire, in April. It follows a record-breaking March for Zenobe, when the company’s transmission-connected Blackhillock BESS began commercial operations in northeast Scotland – billed as Europe’s largest battery site.