Plans for 1,300 six-metre-long batteries on fields near Lincoln
More than 1,300 six-metre-long batteries could be installed on fields in Lincolnshire.
The battery farm – technically known as a Battery Energy Storage System – is planned for countryside around seven miles south of Lincoln.
If approved, the Brant Energy Storage site would be built across four fields to the west of the village of Coleby, on Hill Rise.
The project is designed to store electricity which has been generated from renewable sources like solar farms and wind turbines until it is needed in the national grid.
Initial plans suggest between 1,300 and 1,600 lithium-ion phosphate batteries, which would each be housed in containers which are six metres long and three metres high, could be placed on the site.
The battery farm would also include a substation and three tanks which could hold tens of thousands of litres of water.
The battery farm would be capable of storing up to 1GW of energy – enough to power around 500,000 homes.
The project is being proposed by Navenby Energy Ltd, a subsidiary of renewable energy company NatPower UK.
Planning documents say: “The Brant Energy Storage will strengthen the security and resilience of the energy system in the East Midlands area and the Great British grid, and support the energy transition and growth of renewable power generation.
“The proposed development will import electricity from the National Grid at times of high energy production and export it back to the Grid at times of high demand when there is low production.
“This will improve resilience across the National Grid and encourage the transition to renewable power.”
The batteries would be placed there for up to 40 years, after which it would be restored to agricultural land.
A full planning application hasn’t been submitted yet, but is likely to be later this year.
The developer is currently seeking advice from North Kesteven District Council on what information would be required.
Campaign groups have raised questions about the safety of BESS technology after uncontrollable fires called ‘thermal runaways’.
The companies behind them say these events are very rare, and they put all necessary precautions in place to deal with them.
