Statkraft takes another step towards building a Greener Grid Park in Swansea.
Last week Statkraft came one step closer to developing a Greener Grid Park in Swansea when it achieved a unanimous approval from Swansea Council Planning Committee. This is a big milestone for the project, which still has to go through the tendering process with National Grid and a number of other steps before it reaches construction phase.
Located east of the Swansea North National Grid Substation, the proposal will help decarbonise the UK’s energy sector by allowing the flexible operation of the National Grid. It will allow the grid to better adopt renewable energy and provide a low emissions alternative to regulation traditionally provided by fossil fuel generation methods. The project will not generate any additional electricity nor have any direct on-site CO2 emissions. Find out more about how Greener Grid Parks work here. The proposal consists of an energy management building and 12 containerised battery storage units, with associated infrastructure and an extended access track. The development includes a landscape scheme with woodland planting to provide visual screening, and is predicted to deliver a 44% biodiversity net gain to the site.
Lucy Kent Project Developer said:
“We are delighted that Swansea Council Planning Committee unanimously voted to approve our Greener Grid Park application. The project will help to stabilise the electricity grid which will in turn allow a wealth of renewable energy to be utilised, and ultimately save consumers money. Statkraft always strive to be a good neighbour and have a track record of using local suppliers where possible. This consent is a great milestone for the project as well as helping achieve the UK’s zero carbon target, but there is more to do before we can start construction.”
As Europe’s largest provider of renewable energy, Statkraft is at the forefront of delivering new, innovative projects that provide inertia (stability) to the grid. Statkraft was awarded four stability contracts by National Grid ESO in January 2020 for two projects on Lister Drive, Liverpool and two in Keith, Scotland. Keith is on target to support the supply of renewable energy into the grid by the end of 2021.
Collaboration with trade bodies and other business groups will maximise opportunities for local suppliers during construction, which is anticipated to be sometime in 2023.