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Plans lodged for three Angus battery plants capable of storing power for tens of thousands of homes

Energy firms have come forward with separate planning applications for major battery storage sites near Arbroath and in the Sidlaws.

Battery plants store energy from renewable sources for times when demand increases. Image: Shutterstock
Battery plants store energy from renewable sources for times when demand increases. Image: Shutterstock

Three separate bids for Angus battery plants capable of storing power for tens of thousands of homes have passed their first planning hurdle.

Proposal of Application Notices for farmland sites near Arbroath and in the Sidlaws went before the council’s development control committee on Tuesday.

Two of the bids are for facilities of around 50 Megawatt capacity.

They hold energy from renewable sources such as wind or solar power to be fed back into the grid when required.

A PAN is the first stage of the planning process for major applications.

Where are the latest applications?

Arbroath

Applicant: OPDE UK Ltd

Site: Prime agricultural land 150m south of Annfield Cottage, Brax, west of the town.

Battery storage site capacity not specified.

Two public consultation events planned at Webster Theatre, Arbroath or a similar accessible location.

Brax battery storage site near Arbroath.
The Brax site (in red) sits north west of Arbroath. Image: OPDE UK Ltd

A project website will be set up and a letter drop carried out for properties within 500m of the site.

Birkhill

Applicant: Mabbett Planning and Design

Site: Prime agricultural land 200m west of Templeton Farm, Birkhill.

Templeton battery storage facility application
The Birkhill plan is near Templeton Christmas Tree Farm. Image: Mabbett Planning and Design

Proposal: Energy storage system up to 49.9MW with associated works.

Two public consultation events to be held at Birkhill Hall and a project website will be set up.

Tealing

Applicant: LoganPM Ltd

Site: 3.8 hectares of agricultural land at Moatmill Bridge, Tealing.

Proposal: Storage facility up to 50MW, equipment compound, fencing, security cameras, new belt of native trees and landscaping on land at Moatmill Bridge.

Tealing battery storage site
The proposed site south of Tealing. Image: LoganPM

Two public consultation events to be held at Tealing Hall.

Planning applications for major developments cannot be submitted within 12 weeks of a PAN being lodged.

Angus officials highlighted the sort of issues which are likely to be important factors in determining the three bids.

Those include:

  • Locational justification
  • Soil quality, farm viability and potential land contamination
  •  Landscape and visual impact, including cumulative impact
  •  Residential and recreational amenity impact
  •  Ecological impact, including disturbance, displacement and habitat loss and/or opportunities for habitat improvement
  •  Built and cultural heritage impacts
  •  Infrastructure, including the public road network and specifically the trunk road network
  •  Flood risk
  •  Electricity transmission arrangements
  •  Site decommissioning and restoration
  • Contribution to energy generation targets.

Detailed applications are expected to come before the council in due course.

Do battery plants already exist in Angus?

A site on the edge of Arbroath was one of the first battery storage developments approved in the district.

Since then a number of applications have come forward.

Those include a 50MW scheme at Whitehills on the outskirts of Forfar.

Battery storage site near Forfar.
An impression of the proposed Whitehills site. Image: Angus Council

It received the green light from councillors in 2021 in the face of strong local objection, but is yet to progress.

And plans for an 80MW plant near Kellas were lodged with the authority last year.

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