Renewable energy developer NatPower has opened up a community consultation for a proposed 1GW battery energy storage system (BESS) in Lecisetershire.
The proposed Swinford BESS would be located within the existing Swinford Wind Farm, a 22MW development owned and operated by Vattenfall which has been operational since 2012. As well as the BESS units themselves, the project will also include a transmission connected substation and significant biodiversity enhancements.
Nearby residents are being invited to share their feedback online until 11 April 2025, and a public information event will be held on 24 March at Swinford Village Hall. NatPower has stated that it plans to submit a planning application to Harborough District Council in late spring.
As part of the consultation, NatPower also plans to discuss the potential recipients for its proposed community benefit fund, the Community Energy Transition Foundation. The developer has stated that the Community Energy Transition Foundation could contribute around ?1 million annually to community initiatives in the local area.
John Sturman, managing director at NatPower, said: “Battery storage will play an essential role in delivering clean, secure and affordable energy for the UK and we are looking forward to meeting with the local community in Swinford to discuss our plans, in particular how our site can help deliver biodiversity benefits for local wildlife. We are keen to hear about what the community would like to see to become more sustainable.”
NatPower chases gigawatt-scale projects
Earlier this year, NatPower revealed that it had submitted planning application for another two 1GW BESS projects, the Mowbray Energy Storage Project and the Bellmoor Energy Storage Project.
The Mowbray Energy Storage project will be located on 93 acres of land north of the village of East Rounton, North Yorkshire. Lithium-ion batteries are planned to be used onsite for this project, and the system will have a four-hour duration.
The Bellmoor BESS, set to be located near the village of Thirsk, also in north Yorkshire, will also have a 1GW capacity and four-hour duration. If planning application for both of these projects is granted by North Yorkshire Council, construction could begin as soon as late 2026 and conclude by the summer of 2028, with commercial operations set to begin in December 2028.
Last March, NatPower announced plans to bring over 60GWh of battery capacity online in the UK by 2040, as part of a ?10 billion investment into the UK battery energy storage sector.
