Consultation on battery hub plan
East Perthshire residents were given the chance to have their say on potential plans for a new battery energy storage development on the outskirts of Coupar Angus at a special event last week.
The second of two preapplication consultation events hosted by Balance Power took place at Kettins Community Hub on Wednesday, April 24.
The firm is seeking to bring forward a planning application to deliver a new battery energy storage system (BESS) on land within Hallyburton Estate.
Covering an estimated 10 acres, it is anticipated the facility will have a capacity of 100 megawatts (MW).
Because of its size, it is classed as a Section 36 planning application and will be administered by the Energy Consents Unit (ECU) of the Scottish Government and be determined by Scottish Ministers, with Perth and Kinross Council as a statutory consultee.
BESS developments store electricity at times of high generation and low demand using rechargeable batteries and release it back to the grid in times of higher need.
Project developer Balance Power’s indicative proposal includes scope for 28 battery blocks – each of which would include four containers – and 28 inverter and transformer units. It would also feature a variety of other rooms, as well as two auxiliary transformers and a pair of private substations.
Associated infrastructure such as fencing, access tracks and landscaping are also set to form part of the wideranging blueprint.
John Brown, Kettins Parish Community Council chair, attended the recent gathering at the Lindsay Park community venue.
He said: “As there is not as yet a planning application for the proposed battery storage site, the community council has not sought opinions from the community.
“We did, however, welcome the opportunity to find out about the proposals and understand the reasoning behind them.
“The presentations were well thought-out and the proposal seems to be considerate to the community.
“However, Kettins Parish Community Council does continue to be concerned by the number of current, and future, planning proposals for energy infrastructure in the wider Strathmore Valley area.”
A spokesperson for Balance Power said: “Ahead of submitting the full planning application and in line with good practice, Balance Power opted to undertake two public consultation events for the proposal.
“Following on from the first event, held on December 6, the second event was an opportunity to further expand on any queries raised previously and to show the advancement of work.
“The purpose of this event was for Balance Power to present details of the project to the local community and for local residents to ask questions of the project team and provide feedback on the proposals.”
A dedicated project website - www. hallyburtonbess.co.uk has been set up to provide information about the proposal and includes a copy of the exhibition material.