Proposed battery energy storage system in Biggleswade
What is being proposed?
We're preparing a full planning application for the development of battery energy storage system facility.
The 11.1 hectare site is positioned directly north and south of Dunton Lane, to the east of Biggleswade.
The site will lie directly adjacent to the substation site on Dunton Lane that will be completed in February 2025.
The proposed facility will primarily comprise the installation of a number of containerised battery units and supporting fixed infrastructure.
Why is it necessary?
One of the key challenges with generating energy with renewables is that supply and demand are not necessarily matched, and supply is dependent on the weather (ie sunshine and wind). There is therefore a need to store energy when it is produced for future use.
Battery storage is an essential and significant resource required to enable our future electricity system meet society’s needs, both by increasing energy security and by ensuring that cheaply produced renewable electricity can be used to bring down electricity prices in the UK.
The proposed battery storage facility would provide rapid-response electrical back-up to the grid, providing a flexible system to balance energy supply and demand to aid in contributing to the UK’s progress in meeting its renewable energy target.
It will also help stabilise electricity costs and reduce dependence on energy imports.
Next steps
Following the completion of preparatory works, a planning application will be submitted for the facility, which will set out full details of the development specification, including the number of proposed battery storage units and their scale/layout across the site area, landscaping and provisions for biodiversity enhancements.
Give us your views
We want to hear your views about our proposals.
Please send us your comments to: renewables@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.
Your response will help us shape the finalised proposals that will be submitted in the upcoming planning application.
The deadline for providing any comments is 11:59pm on 29 November 2024.
Questions and answers
Why this site?
The site is very close to the substation site on Dunton Lane that will be completed in February 2025. Through seeking to position the battery storage facility close to this infrastructure, we aim to limit the wider visual impacts of the site on the surrounding landscape and minimise the need for inefficient cable connection routes.
What will it look like?
A series of white structures with vents at the top.
What is battery energy storage?
It is very similar to a power pack you might use with your phone – just much larger. A battery energy storage system is charged using energy that is not needed when it is produced and can then release the electricity back into the grid by capturing surplus electricity during periods of low demand and releasing it during times when demand exceeds generating capacity. Energy is released from the battery storage system during times of peak demand, keeping costs down and electricity flowing.
Why battery energy storage?
Renewable energy sources such as solar PV or wind turbines generate power intermittently, but not always when it is needed, for example on at 3am on a windy night there isn’t much demand for electricity, but it can be produced cheaply and effectively. Energy which is generated at these times can be saved until it is needed so helping ease the increasing risk of fluctuations in generation resulting from an ever-greater use of intermittent renewable energy sources.
Battery storage provides a real-time “balancing service” to the grid and plays a critical role in enabling the country to meet its Net Zero obligation by capturing surplus electricity during periods of low demand and releasing it during times when demand exceeds generating capacity. This is a benefit not only for the environment but also for society. Energy is released from the battery storage system during times of peak demand, to keep electricity flowing help reduce our dependence on fossil fuel generation and help cut the cost of energy to the consumer.
Via our adopted Sustainability Plan, we've also committed to investing in renewable energy infrastructure that includes battery storage as part of a wider strategy to achieve carbon neutrality in the district by 2030.
Is there a risk of fire?
The risk of a fire at a battery storage site is relatively low, but nonetheless the matter is taken very seriously. On-site technology detects even relatively small differences in temperatures in different parts of the battery and can close them off for maintenance if there is a concern. The batteries also contain fire suppressant systems and are spaced far enough apart that a fire in one part of a battery site should not spread across the site. Sites generally also have more than one access and a track around the site perimeter to help the Fire Service should there ever be a need for access. We will be producing a full fire safety strategy as part of any planning application.
Would there be increased traffic to the neighbourhood?
There may be a small increase in traffic during the construction phase for deliveries of materials and equipment. However, once built, traffic will be condensed to management and maintenance vehicles only.
Will there be noise from the site?
Any increase in noise will be very small and only associated with fans running on the site to keep equipment at the right temperature.