Proposals
We propose to develop land to the west of the Forss Business & Energy Park as an energy storage facility. This will comprise of around 50 structures which would comprise of either battery units (see the example image above), substations or ancillary buildings. The buildings would be no more than 5 metres high. All of the buildings would be within a fenced area. The layout would also include CCTV and a control building would enable the site to be monitored and managed 24/7. The site could be shut down remotely if required.
The proposed location of the energy storage facility is on land to the west of the existing Forss Business & Energy Park buildings. This is shown on the plan below. The location is over 800 metres from any existing house. The layout plan has been updated to reflect our latest thoughts
Click images to enlarge
Why do we need battery energy storage systems?
We propose to develop land to the west of the Forss Business & Energy Park as an energy storage facility. This will comprise of around 50 structures which would comprise of either battery units (see the example image above), substations or ancillary buildings. The buildings would be no more than 5 metres high. All of the buildings would be within a fenced area. The layout would also include CCTV and a control building would enable the site to be monitored and managed 24/7. The site could be shut down remotely if required.
Battery energy storage system technology will play a critical role in securing our net zero energy future. It will assist:
- Highland Council in its pledge to reach net zero by 2045;
- Scotland’s aims to generate 50% of its overall energy consumption from renewable sources by 2030;
- The Scottish Government aims to have almost completely decarbonised the energy system
by 2050; and - The Scottish Government’s target of achieving net zero by 2045 with the route map to Net Zero included key interim targets to reduce emissions by at least 75% by 2030 and by at least 90% by 2040.
Installing more battery storage systems will help reach these targets and ensure that renewable energy produced can be stored for later use.
According to the National Grid nationalgrid.com:
Every day, engineers at National Grid and electricity grids worldwide must match supply with demand. Managing these peaks and troughs becomes more challenging when the target is to achieve net zero carbon production, by phasing out fossil fuel plants that have traditionally been used as a backup to provide a reliable, steady supply of energy.
The UK government estimates technologies like battery storage systems – supporting the integration of more low-carbon power, heat and transport technologies – could save the UK energy system up to £40 billion by 2050, ultimately reducing people’s energy bills.
Installing more battery storage systems will help reach these targets and ensure that renewable energy produced can be stored for later use.
