Apatura wins consent for 40MW Scottish BESS

This is the eighth project for which Apatura has received consent in recent months. Image: Apatura.

Battery energy storage system (BESS) developer Apatura has been granted planning consent for a new BESS project in Scotland.

The Glasgow Road BESS is a 40MW/80MWh development located in Eaglesham, East Renfrewshire. The eight-acre site is located around 23 miles from Glasgow and ten miles from East Kilbride.

According to Apatura, the site will feature native planting surrounding the BESS units in order to increase biodiversity in the area and also to help the site blend into the surrounding lands. The BESS units will be coloured green in order to further limit their visual impact to the surrounding ryside.

East Renfrewshire Council granted planning permission for the project on 15 April, rasining no objections to the developer’s submitted plans. The council praised the development as having an important role in “‘supporting the transition to net zero and combating climate change”. Planning permission has been granted for a period of 40 years, after which time the site will be returned to its original state.

This development is expected to generate a number of jobs both directly and indirectly in the local area. According to Apatura, the project will support around 25 full-time jobs during the construction period and additional benefits will be spread out across the supply chain.

Andrew Philpott, chief development officer at Apatura, said the developer welcomes East Renfrewshire Council’s decision to grant planning approval. He added that the development “will strengthen grid security, enhance UK energy and support the transition to a low-carbon economy,” additionally noting that “BESS plays a crucial role in modern energy management, especially in the context of renewable energy integration and grid stability.”

This is the eighth BESS development for which Apatura has received planning permission in the last 16 months. Following this planning approval, Apatura now has a total consented BESS portfolio of 1.5GW. In late February, the firm was awarded planning consent for a 400MW BESS scheme in central Scotland, the Denny project, locate five miles south-east of Stirling.