Land at Blackpark Farm, Nairn
Community engagement
Welcome to our public consultation for the proposed development of a Grid Battery Energy Storage Facility (up to 30MW), with associated development at land at Blackpark Farm, Nairn, Highland, IV12 5HY.
This website forms part of the formal pre-application consultation process which is undertaken prior to the submission of a formal planning application to the Highland Council (‘the Council’) in the forthcoming months.
The proposed development – the installation of a Grid Battery Energy Storage Facility – looks to provide an answer to the intermittent nature of renewable technologies, one of the biggest challenges faced by renewable energy generation.
Downloads:
Battery storage context
Battery storage technologies, otherwise known as Battery Energy Storage Systems (‘BESS’), are devices that enable the storage and release of energy generated from renewables, such as solar and wind. The most commonly used storage technology for large scale plants are lithium-ion batteries, which are used in mobile phones and electric cars. National Grid highlights energy storage as a key growth area and estimates that as much as 30GW installed capacity could be required by 2050.
Battery storage has a key part to play in ensuring homes and businesses can be powered by green energy, even when the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing. For example, the UK has the largest installed capacity of offshore wind in the world, but the value of clean energy can be increased by increasing the ability to capture this energy and purposefully deploy it, increasing production and potentially reducing costs.
Process
The traditional approach to community engagement is usually through a public exhibition in a local venue (for example a community hall) but the requirement for this process was suspended through the Town & Country Planning (Miscellaneous Temporary Modifications) (Coronavirus) (Scotland) Regulations 2020, for all proposals for which the Proposal of Application Notices (‘PANs’) were submitted to the relevant Planning Authority prior to the end of September 2022. In keeping with this temporary legislation and guidance issued by the Scottish Government in response to the Covid Pandemic (which was extended), this online consultation site has been provided as an alternative.
Although we understand that many aspects of life are returning to some form of normality, we feel it is most appropriate to continue with an online consultation process due to the sustained levels of infection seen across the region.
The content of this site sets out the background to the proposed development, the vision for the site and how the proposed site layout has been developed, using principles to deliver a BESS design which will aid grid stability whilst minimising its impact on the surrounding landscape.
Get involved
We encourage the local community and other stakeholders to view our emerging proposals, prior to the submission of a formal planning application to the Council. We would be delighted to receive your feedback and comments, and to facilitate this, a short feedback form has been provided to help capture the views of those who partake in the online event. The content of these feedback forms will be used to inform the eventual content of the planning application.
Furthermore, should this website raise any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us on our dedicated project specific email address [email protected] or by contacting a member of the project team on the phone number provided. We will respond to any queries raised as soon as possible (we aim to respond within 3 working days).
A live chat function will be in operation on the day of the live consultation event, the 23rd November, from 12pm-7pm. This will facilitate instantaneous replies from a member of the project team. All comments from the website should be received by 14th December 2022.
Please note that any comments submitted to this website will be used only by the applicant and project team, and do not constitute a formal representation to any future planning application. If and when a formal planning application is submitted, there will be an opportunity to make further formal representations to the Highland Council.
FEEDBACK
Anesco encourages views from residents on the proposal as laid on this webpage.
Closing date for feedback is 14th December 2022.
Click here to access the feedback form
THANK YOU
Clean green technology
Supports biodiversity
Protects the grid from disruption
