The Scottish Authorities has granted consent for the development and operation of the Smeaton Battery Vitality Storage System (BESS), a 228MW:456MWh undertaking close to Dalkeith, East Lothian. This improvement is about to considerably contribute to the decarbonisation of the UK grid, attaining estimated carbon financial savings of roughly 15,368 tonnes of CO2 equal per yr, in response to Kona Vitality, the agency offering the energy-storage expertise.
The Smeaton BESS will retailer power from renewable sources and launch it throughout peak demand, decreasing grid constraints and decreasing power prices for shoppers. The undertaking’s strategic geographical location will play a essential function in enhancing grid resilience and supporting the UK’s transition to a zero-carbon future.
Utilizing the identical methodology as earlier Kona assessments, the Smeaton BESS is predicted to save lots of 15,368 tonnes of CO2 equal in its first yr. That is the equal of offsetting the emissions from 17,328 common UK houses – not together with heating.
The Smeaton BESS is strategically positioned to notably cut back power constraints and associated prices on the UK grid. Nationwide Grid ESO estimates present that constraint prices may attain as excessive as £3bn in 2029, with the majority of this coming from curbing wind in Scotland.
Tasks such because the Smeaton BESS are very important in bringing these prices down, decreasing payments for shoppers and stopping the waste of fresh power technology.
With the close by Torness nuclear energy station resulting from shut down in 2028, the undertaking may even play a key function in enhancing native community stability.
The undertaking aligns with Kona Vitality’s ongoing work with the Electrical energy System Operator (ESO) and Nationwide Grid to mitigate power constraints and enhance community stability. Kona collectively wrote a proposal paper illustrating how ESO can use batteries to quickly cut back the general public value of constraints. This was accomplished in partnership with Zenobē, Eku and Subject in response to the ESO’s Constraints Collaboration Venture.
Kona Vitality, suggested by Opus Company Finance LLP, will shortly be searching for funding to deliver the Smeaton BESS undertaking to market. To help the undertaking’s supply, Dr Lu Zhang, beforehand with Hithium, a number one Chinese language cell producer, has joined Kona Vitality as Technical Director. Dr Zhang’s experience shall be very important in maximising the undertaking’s potential and guaranteeing its profitable and speedy implementation.
Andy Willis, Kona Vitality Founder, commented:
“This is fantastic news, adding to Kona’s growing portfolio of work. This project represents a significant step forward in decarbonising the UK’s electricity grid while providing tangible and real benefits in terms of cost reduction and energy security. We are eager to collaborate with investors and partners in order to deliver this project on a rapid timescale.”
“Tackling constraint costs is vital in not only bringing down consumer bills and preventing the costly waste of clean generation, but also for retaining public trust in reaching Net Zero. The huge financial burden of prohibiting wind turbines from operating is becoming a more relevant topic in the wider debate – rightly so. Our industry must do more to tackle this, and projects such as the Smeaton BESS will help to significantly reduce the waste involved.”
“Its strategic location will give it a unique role to play in drastically slashing constraint costs and consumer bills – that was one of the key reasons why our development team was so enthusiastic about the project’s potential.”
“I’d like to thank the Scottish Government for their positive engagement on the project, and look forward to working with them again in the future in order to deliver our shared Net Zero goal.”
