How does Standalone Battery Storage System work?
The UK generates electricity in several ways from coal, gas, nuclear, and renewable resources. The electricity system is balanced in real-time, and so matching demand with supply can be particularly challenging.
The purpose of a battery storage system is to store electricity that has been generated from various means, so that it can be stored and then exported back to the grid at times of high demand/low generation. As the electricity that is generated from renewable sources is subject to peaks and troughs, depending on climatic conditions, the system is able to store electricity when generation is high and then supply energy when less electricity is being generated or when there are additional or higher demands on the grid.
The UK Government is committed to a rapid transition towards a zero-carbon economy; a significant expansion in low carbon electricity generation is a key part of the Governments’ energy strategy. Consequences of this expansion include changes to the daily electricity demand and supply pattern; an increasingly volatile generation mix and greater issues with geographical concentration of generation. Transmission network constraints occur when network infrastructure limits the ability of the network to transmit all the available power to where it is needed.
There is a growing need for technologies that can respond quickly to balance generation and load in the system. This is to ensure grid stability and security of supply, ultimately avoiding the need for extreme demand-reduction measures, which can include blackouts.
Battery storage offers an efficient and responsive solution to actively manage grid demands by storing surplus electricity for distributing back to the grid in times of peak demand. This system caters for the inherent intermittency of renewable energy sources, helping to balance transmission requirements and Lithium-ion battery storage is currently the most suitable technology.
Benefits of battery storage system
The battery storage facility can import or export large amounts of electricity with no time lag and has the following benefits:
Battery storage system
The proposed battery storage system will be made up, principally, of up to 40 battery storage containers, 20 inverter/Power Control System (PCS) containers (comprising of transformer/inverters/monitoring systems), palisade and wooden fencing, parking facilities for limited maintenance vehicles and CCTV monitoring system. The battery storage containers dimensions will typically be
Grid Connection
The proposed battery storage system will require a Distribution and client-side substation to connect to the distribution network via a transformer. The proposed BESS will require a cable route of 10m to connect to the overhead line which is located towards the south of the Site.
Access Track
A 5 m wide permeable access track will be installed to provide access to the compound.
Fencing
A 2.45m palisade security fence and double gates will be erected around the site for health, safety and insurance purposes.
CCTV
A series of CCTV cameras will be installed throughout the site. The CCTV arrangements are based on infrared technology so no lighting will be required at night-time.
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The site is needed in order to provide essential grid infrastructure improvements which will facilitate renewable energy generation/supply to meet local and national ‘net zero’ energy targets. Further details of this will be provided within the Planning Support Statement, and the Design & Access Statement to be submitted with the planning application.
Landscape
The application site does not fall within any national designation related to landscape. There would be no direct physical impact upon the High Weald National Landscape due to the development. The public right of way CAT/21/1 runs immediately adjacent to the western most boundary of the application site. A full landscape and visual impact assessment (which would include mitigation measures if deemed necessary) would be submitted with the full planning pack.
Ecology & Biodiversity
Our objective is always to mitigate any potential impacts on wildlife and habitats. Battery storage system developments encourage biodiversity as they are tranquil sites that do not require heavy machinery or intensive farming for maintenance over the 50-year lifetime of the development. Existing hedgerows and vegetation are retained for the most part, and additional site-specific measures will be included in a Biodiversity Management Plan (BMP) for the site. These measures combined enable local flora & fauna to flourish in the surrounding area thus increasing biodiversity.
Use of agricultural land
The proposed site is located within agricultural farmland and is predominantly used for commercial forestry. An Agricultural Land Classification analysis was completed which confirmed that the Site predominantly comprises of subgrade 3b ‘Moderate’, and therefore does not comprise any Prime agricultural land and is not within the best and most versatile classification for agriculture.
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The UK is undergoing a major change in the way it meets its energy needs. In 2019, the Government declared a climate emergency and legislated to commit the country to achieving ‘net zero’ carbon emissions by 2050 in comparison to emissions at 1990 levels. To meet these commitments, it is necessary to significantly expand renewable infrastructure and generate home grown, clean, low carbon energy to mitigate the impact of human activity on the climate and ensure the future security of the environment and generations to come.
In order to meet the 2050 emission targets, and more challenging targets set recently at the UN climate change conference COP26, the UK has a responsibility to increase the amount of renewable energy generated power it produces to move away from its dependence on fossil fuels. COP26 goal 1 outlines the need to invest in renewable energy to ensure that the target of global net-zero emissions by 2050, together with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, can be achieved.
A further commitment by the UK Government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 78% by 2035 is set out in the Sixth Carbon Budget (2021). The bar is continually rising and immediate action is needed to achieve such ambitious targets. The rising costs of energy due to demand after the COVID 19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have exacerbated the urgency of the UK’s need for energy security. The publication of the British Energy Security Strategy (2022) reaffirms the urgent need to stabilise the UK’s energy supply. The strategy states the Government expects a five-fold increase in solar energy deployment by 2035.
Powering up Britain was published by the Government in March 2023 and recognises the rising costs of energy bills and the impact on families and households. It strives for a net zero economy by 2050 and declares the aim that the UK will have among the cheapest wholesale electricity prices in Europe by 2035. The target for solar power is to quintuple the amount of solar power, up to 70GW by 2035, enough to power approximately 20 million homes. The Energy Security Plan within the document outlines the Government’s vision to potentially double Britain’s electricity generation capacity by the late 2030’s.
In 2023, the Rother District Council refreshed their approach to climate strategy and developed a new draft which identified key priorities and key action areas to meet targets to become a carbon net-zero district council by 2030. The climate action plan 2023-2026 outlines many of these key areas including:
The majority of these key action areas identified above are designated to have a “high impact” on carbon emissions. As per the Rother District Council website, these impacts will mitigate 1,000’s of tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions. By supporting the ability to integrate renewable energy into the electricity grid at a local and national level, this proposed project at Catsfield Farm will aid the Rother District Council in achieving net zero.
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Engaging with our host communities will be vital to the success of this carbon-saving facility. We would like to hear your views on the proposal and how it might benefit not only the wider environment but its immediate surroundings.
We would like to invite you to complete the survey provided on this website. This will help us understand your views on renewable energy and will give you a chance to suggest how the development can best be made to work for the good of the community.
A community digital consultation is ongoing via this website where you are able to make comment on the proposals directly to us via the survey provided or via email. These comments must be submitted no later than 9th of March.
The public consultation will be held on Thursday the 27th of February 2025. It will be held at Catsfield Village Hall, 11 Church Rd., Catsfield, Battle, between 4pm-7pm, during which team members and project specialists will be available to discuss the project.
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Site Location
The Site is located approximately 1.3 km southwest of Catsfield. The Site is on agricultural land at Catsfield Farm, Stream Lane, Battle, East Sussex, TN33 9BB and is within the administrative boundary of Rother District Council.
Size of the Site
The red line boundary is 8.09 acres, or 3.27 hectares and the likely developable area will be approximately 3 acres or 1.21 hectares once areas of landscaping and enhancement have been designed.
Temporary Development
Planning permission is being sought for the development with an operational period of 50 years.
Site Access
The site will be accessed for construction via a farm road off the B2204 Road on the north-west corner of the land holding.
Construction Period, Construction & Operational Traffic
During the construction period, which is estimated to take up to 6 months (26 weeks), delivery vehicles and construction staff will make vehicular trips to the site. Most of the deliveries will be undertaken by HGV. It is envisaged that over the busiest construction period there will be a maximum of 20per day. During the 50-year operational life of the project it is envisaged that in addition to average traffic there will be, on average, 2 vehicle movements (car/van) per month related to the ongoing operation and maintenance of the installation.
Decommissioning the site
At the end of the proposed 50-year operational period, the battery storage system and its ancillary equipment will be decommissioned, dismantled and removed and the site fully reinstated to the satisfaction of the local planning authority.
It is estimated that decommissioning of the proposed Catsfield Farm BESS project will take approximately 4 months to complete. Subject to best practice at the time, it is anticipated that decommissioning will involve:
Generating Capacity & CO2 Savings
The battery storage system would have a capacity of approximately 99.9MW.
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Noise
Each battery container and inverter station will contain a small fan that is similar to a domestic bathroom fan in both size & rating, these would be away for sensitive noise receptors and the project will be complaint with the noise limits set by the Council.
Emissions
No greenhouse gas emissions will be emitted by the development.
Is there an increased risk of flooding around battery storage system?
Given the small size of the project there is no increase in surface water runoff and therefore no significant increase in the risk of flooding as little impermeable hard surfacing is required. The proposed development area is not in any flood zone.
Highways and access
A Transport Assessment will be submitted with the planning application and will set out the access strategy for the development. It will confirm the traffic numbers and vehicle types forecast to access the site during both the construction and operational periods, and review potential routes to the site access point for any local highway safety concerns. It will conclude by setting out the mitigation measures to be carried out to ensure that construction vehicles enter and exit the site in a safe and appropriate manner.
CLOSE
How does Standalone Battery Storage System work?
The UK generates electricity in several ways from coal, gas, nuclear, and renewable resources. The electricity system is balanced in real-time, and so matching demand with supply can be particularly challenging.
The purpose of a battery storage system is to store electricity that has been generated from various means, so that it can be stored and then exported back to the grid at times of high demand/low generation. As the electricity that is generated from renewable sources is subject to peaks and troughs, depending on climatic conditions, the system is able to store electricity when generation is high and then supply energy when less electricity is being generated or when there are additional or higher demands on the grid.
The UK Government is committed to a rapid transition towards a zero-carbon economy; a significant expansion in low carbon electricity generation is a key part of the Governments’ energy strategy. Consequences of this expansion include changes to the daily electricity demand and supply pattern; an increasingly volatile generation mix and greater issues with geographical concentration of generation. Transmission network constraints occur when network infrastructure limits the ability of the network to transmit all the available power to where it is needed.
There is a growing need for technologies that can respond quickly to balance generation and load in the system. This is to ensure grid stability and security of supply, ultimately avoiding the need for extreme demand-reduction measures, which can include blackouts.
Battery storage offers an efficient and responsive solution to actively manage grid demands by storing surplus electricity for distributing back to the grid in times of peak demand. This system caters for the inherent intermittency of renewable energy sources, helping to balance transmission requirements and Lithium-ion battery storage is currently the most suitable technology.
Benefits of battery storage system
The battery storage facility can import or export large amounts of electricity with no time lag and has the following benefits:
Battery storage system
The proposed battery storage system will be made up, principally, of up to 40 battery storage containers, 20 inverter/Power Control System (PCS) containers (comprising of transformer/inverters/monitoring systems), palisade and wooden fencing, parking facilities for limited maintenance vehicles and CCTV monitoring system. The battery storage containers dimensions will typically be
Grid Connection
The proposed battery storage system will require a Distribution and client-side substation to connect to the distribution network via a transformer. The proposed BESS will require a cable route of 10m to connect to the overhead line which is located towards the south of the Site.
Access Track
A 5 m wide permeable access track will be installed to provide access to the compound.
Fencing
A 2.45m palisade security fence and double gates will be erected around the site for health, safety and insurance purposes.
CCTV
A series of CCTV cameras will be installed throughout the site. The CCTV arrangements are based on infrared technology so no lighting will be required at night-time.
CLOSE
The site is needed in order to provide essential grid infrastructure improvements which will facilitate renewable energy generation/supply to meet local and national ‘net zero’ energy targets. Further details of this will be provided within the Planning Support Statement, and the Design & Access Statement to be submitted with the planning application.
Landscape
The application site does not fall within any national designation related to landscape. There would be no direct physical impact upon the High Weald National Landscape due to the development. The public right of way CAT/21/1 runs immediately adjacent to the western most boundary of the application site. A full landscape and visual impact assessment (which would include mitigation measures if deemed necessary) would be submitted with the full planning pack.
Ecology & Biodiversity
Our objective is always to mitigate any potential impacts on wildlife and habitats. Battery storage system developments encourage biodiversity as they are tranquil sites that do not require heavy machinery or intensive farming for maintenance over the 50-year lifetime of the development. Existing hedgerows and vegetation are retained for the most part, and additional site-specific measures will be included in a Biodiversity Management Plan (BMP) for the site. These measures combined enable local flora & fauna to flourish in the surrounding area thus increasing biodiversity.
Use of agricultural land
The proposed site is located within agricultural farmland and is predominantly used for commercial forestry. An Agricultural Land Classification analysis was completed which confirmed that the Site predominantly comprises of subgrade 3b ‘Moderate’, and therefore does not comprise any Prime agricultural land and is not within the best and most versatile classification for agriculture.
CLOSE
The UK is undergoing a major change in the way it meets its energy needs. In 2019, the Government declared a climate emergency and legislated to commit the country to achieving ‘net zero’ carbon emissions by 2050 in comparison to emissions at 1990 levels. To meet these commitments, it is necessary to significantly expand renewable infrastructure and generate home grown, clean, low carbon energy to mitigate the impact of human activity on the climate and ensure the future security of the environment and generations to come.
In order to meet the 2050 emission targets, and more challenging targets set recently at the UN climate change conference COP26, the UK has a responsibility to increase the amount of renewable energy generated power it produces to move away from its dependence on fossil fuels. COP26 goal 1 outlines the need to invest in renewable energy to ensure that the target of global net-zero emissions by 2050, together with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, can be achieved.
A further commitment by the UK Government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 78% by 2035 is set out in the Sixth Carbon Budget (2021). The bar is continually rising and immediate action is needed to achieve such ambitious targets. The rising costs of energy due to demand after the COVID 19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have exacerbated the urgency of the UK’s need for energy security. The publication of the British Energy Security Strategy (2022) reaffirms the urgent need to stabilise the UK’s energy supply. The strategy states the Government expects a five-fold increase in solar energy deployment by 2035.
Powering up Britain was published by the Government in March 2023 and recognises the rising costs of energy bills and the impact on families and households. It strives for a net zero economy by 2050 and declares the aim that the UK will have among the cheapest wholesale electricity prices in Europe by 2035. The target for solar power is to quintuple the amount of solar power, up to 70GW by 2035, enough to power approximately 20 million homes. The Energy Security Plan within the document outlines the Government’s vision to potentially double Britain’s electricity generation capacity by the late 2030’s.
In 2023, the Rother District Council refreshed their approach to climate strategy and developed a new draft which identified key priorities and key action areas to meet targets to become a carbon net-zero district council by 2030. The climate action plan 2023-2026 outlines many of these key areas including:
The majority of these key action areas identified above are designated to have a “high impact” on carbon emissions. As per the Rother District Council website, these impacts will mitigate 1,000’s of tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions. By supporting the ability to integrate renewable energy into the electricity grid at a local and national level, this proposed project at Catsfield Farm will aid the Rother District Council in achieving net zero.
CLOSE
Engaging with our host communities will be vital to the success of this carbon-saving facility. We would like to hear your views on the proposal and how it might benefit not only the wider environment but its immediate surroundings.
We would like to invite you to complete the survey provided on this website. This will help us understand your views on renewable energy and will give you a chance to suggest how the development can best be made to work for the good of the community.
A community digital consultation is ongoing via this website where you are able to make comment on the proposals directly to us via the survey provided or via email. These comments must be submitted no later than 9th of March.
The public consultation will be held on Thursday the 27th of February 2025. It will be held at Catsfield Village Hall, 11 Church Rd., Catsfield, Battle, between 4pm-7pm, during which team members and project specialists will be available to discuss the project.
CLOSE
Site Location
The Site is located approximately 1.3 km southwest of Catsfield. The Site is on agricultural land at Catsfield Farm, Stream Lane, Battle, East Sussex, TN33 9BB and is within the administrative boundary of Rother District Council.
Size of the Site
The red line boundary is 8.09 acres, or 3.27 hectares and the likely developable area will be approximately 3 acres or 1.21 hectares once areas of landscaping and enhancement have been designed.
Temporary Development
Planning permission is being sought for the development with an operational period of 50 years.
Site Access
The site will be accessed for construction via a farm road off the B2204 Road on the north-west corner of the land holding.
Construction Period, Construction & Operational Traffic
During the construction period, which is estimated to take up to 6 months (26 weeks), delivery vehicles and construction staff will make vehicular trips to the site. Most of the deliveries will be undertaken by HGV. It is envisaged that over the busiest construction period there will be a maximum of 20per day. During the 50-year operational life of the project it is envisaged that in addition to average traffic there will be, on average, 2 vehicle movements (car/van) per month related to the ongoing operation and maintenance of the installation.
Decommissioning the site
At the end of the proposed 50-year operational period, the battery storage system and its ancillary equipment will be decommissioned, dismantled and removed and the site fully reinstated to the satisfaction of the local planning authority.
It is estimated that decommissioning of the proposed Catsfield Farm BESS project will take approximately 4 months to complete. Subject to best practice at the time, it is anticipated that decommissioning will involve:
Generating Capacity & CO2 Savings
The battery storage system would have a capacity of approximately 99.9MW.
CLOSE
Noise
Each battery container and inverter station will contain a small fan that is similar to a domestic bathroom fan in both size & rating, these would be away for sensitive noise receptors and the project will be complaint with the noise limits set by the Council.
Emissions
No greenhouse gas emissions will be emitted by the development.
Is there an increased risk of flooding around battery storage system?
Given the small size of the project there is no increase in surface water runoff and therefore no significant increase in the risk of flooding as little impermeable hard surfacing is required. The proposed development area is not in any flood zone.
Highways and access
A Transport Assessment will be submitted with the planning application and will set out the access strategy for the development. It will confirm the traffic numbers and vehicle types forecast to access the site during both the construction and operational periods, and review potential routes to the site access point for any local highway safety concerns. It will conclude by setting out the mitigation measures to be carried out to ensure that construction vehicles enter and exit the site in a safe and appropriate manner.
CLOSE