YLEM Energy will shortly begin pre-application consultations for its plans to construct two battery storage sites on either side of the River Clyde, which could have a combined storage capacity of 90MW.
The Salford-based business, which has more than 30 years’ experience in the energy generation industry, hopes that local authorities recognise the value of the sites to both the grid and investment in the local economy.
One site, at Ardencaple Farm near Helensburgh, will involve a 50MW array, while the other site, to the south near Greenock, will host a 30MW array.
The energy would be stored when local generation exceeds demand, before being fed into the grid for use locally and elsewhere in the country.
Renewable energy - such as wind and solar - tends to fluctuate in generation, while demand on the grid has a separate cycle. Being able to store energy in sites across the UK allows consumers and businesses to access electricity when they need it and avoid expensive ‘brown-outs’ in supply.
Scotland, which has a strong foothold in the renewable energy industry, increasingly needs battery storage to be able to benefit from all the electricity that it is able to produce and avoid wasting surpluses generated.
Ian Gadsby, managing director of YLEM Energy, commented: “While the benefits of battery storage are perhaps not yet as widely understood as renewable energy, we are confident of the role that storage plays in supplying energy to the grid.
“With an ongoing debate about energy security, being able to make the most of all the electricity we generate in this country is a worthwhile mission, and we’re pleased to play our part.”
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