CONRAD ENERGY SECURE PLANNING FOR 15MW BATTERY STORAGE ASSET IN SOMERSET

Conrad Energy’s focus on energy storage and renewable technologies continues with the news the company has been granted planning approval for a 15MW battery site in Watchet, Somerset. With battery energy storage enabling the proliferation of renewables onto the grid, the role storage installations, such as the one which will be built in Watchet, are playing in enabling the energy transition is becoming increasingly vital.

‘Our investment in the South West continues with a strong start to 2023 as we build our pipeline of diverse storage and renewable development projects,’ says George Hall, Development Manager. “We’re committed to ensuring access to lower carbon energy for all, and the plant at Watchet is a tremendous step forward in making the most of energy generated by renewable sources.’

The energy held in battery energy storage facilities is used to balance and stabilise the grid, ensuring the supply of energy is constant. The utility-grade batteries will store electricity from the grid at times of low demand and high renewable energy generation, and export back to the grid at times of high demand and low renewable energy generation.

The battery energy storage facility, which will host 15 energy storage containers, is due to be operational by the end of 2024. The site has been sensitively designed to incorporate local planting and demonstrates a 15.37% gain in habitat units and 10.4% gain in hedgerow units, thanks to nearly 1000sqm of natural woodland screening and 47m of new indigenous hedgerow planting.