Plan to build UK's largest battery storage facility

The facility would include 108 shipping container-sized batteries and an electricity substation

Plans to build the UK's largest battery storage facility have been submitted.

Grenergy, a renewable energy firm, wants to build a 450 megawatt (MW) battery energy storage system near Corsham, Wiltshire, that would store energy produced by solar farms and wind turbines to support the grid when needed.

The company said the facility, which it plans to build at Neston Park Estate, could supply enough energy to power one million homes, five times the number of homes in Wiltshire, for an hour.

If planning permission is granted by Wiltshire Council, Grenergy said it hoped to start work on the facility next year and have it operational by the end of 2027.

If given the go-ahead, it would become the largest facility of its kind, topping the Lakeside Energy Park in Drax, North Yorkshire, which has a capacity of 100MW, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

The facility would be half a mile from the village of Neston and residents have raised concerns about the visual impact of the development, the noise caused by cooling fans, and the risk of fire.

One resident said it would have an impact locally and in surrounding villages, adding that it "is a cause of concern for us all".

'Reduce risk'

The facility would include 108 shipping container-sized batteries along with an electricity substation, security fencing, lighting and CCTV towers.

Grenergy said it would carry out "rigorous health and safety assessments".

"The design of the system at Brockleaze has been optimised according to guidance to reduce any potential risk," it added.

Comments on the application can be made to Wiltshire Council before 28 August.