Plans for energy storage hub on land near Horsham 'would help tackle climate change'
A bid is being made to help tackle climate change by building a battery energy storage system on land near Horsham.
Renewable energy development company – Clearstone Energy – is seeking planning permission from Horsham District Council to build the storage hub on a field next to Shipley Road, Southwater.
Clearstone says that the storage system – dubbed Great Oak Energy Hub – “would make a significant contribution to meeting national and local policy targets aimed at decarbonising the energy network.
"This is equivalent electricity to power 375,220 homes in West Sussex for two hours when fully charged.”
In a report to the council, the company adds: “The proposed development is equivalent to displacing 110,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions from gas fired power plants every year, which in turn equates to planting 5 million trees.
“It would make a significant contribution to decarbonising the electricity network and tackling climate change.”
The energy hub, Clearstone says, would “resolve the highly problematic issue of balancing highly variable weather-dependent renewable energy to the peaks and troughs of consumer electricity demand.
"As more and more energy is provided by renewables such as solar and wind, battery energy storage systems are needed to store this low carbon electricity at times of low consumer demand and then release it at times of higher consumer demand.
"This maximises the availability of affordable renewable energy on the grid network, whilst also providing national security of power supply.”
They describe the field off Shipley Road in Southwater where it is proposed to site the energy hub as ‘low grade agricultural land.’ It is owned by the Knepp Estate.
If it goes ahead, the hub would last for 40 years during which time Clearstone says it proposes to share the financial benefits of the development with the local community by making available a ‘Community Funding Offer’ worth the equivalent of £2 million over the hub’s lifetime.
And, it maintains, it would provide substantial wildlife enhancements in the area. It says: “The proposed development will provide significant biodiversity enhancements – 20.01 per cent net gain in habitat units and 16.21 per cent net gain in hedgerow units – and provide socio-economic benefits from farm diversification.”
There are currently 92 battery energy storage system sites in operation across the UK.