BayWa r.e. 171MWh UK storage project approved

Renewable energy developer BayWa r.e. has received planning consent for a 171MWh battery energy storage project in Stockton-on-Tees in Northeast England.

BayWa r.e. said the project would be one of the company’s biggest standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Europe, and its first in the UK.

It will be develooped in partnership with Grüne Energien Solar GmbH.

The 57 MW ‘Meadow Farm’ BESS project will also include measures to improve local biodiversity, including the planting of native grassland, wildflowers, hedgerows, and trees. The measures will achieve a biodiversity net gain of more than 28 per cent for habitats, and more than 14 per cent for hedgerows, BayWa r.e. said.

John Milligan, managing director at BayWa r.e. UK, commented: “BESS facilities like Meadow Farm allow flexibility within the national electricity transmission, complementing renewable energy generation profiles. Having successfully secured planning approval for our first standalone BESS project in the UK reflects our ongoing dedication and growth in delivering innovative projects.”

Julian Gerstner, head of storage EMEA at BayWa r.e., added: “We are thrilled to bring our storage capabilities to the next level with our largest standalone storage project in the UK to date and one of our biggest in Europe. The development of large BESS projects – either connected with renewable energy plants or as stand-alone – demonstrates the full potential of green energy, bringing grid flexibility and stability, as well as contributing significantly to the acceleration of the energy transition.”