PERMISSION has been given for a battery energy storage system at a site near Port Glasgow.
Councillors on Inverclyde Planning Board approved the proposal by developer Bluestone Energy for a 49-megawatt facility at the former Dougliehill Water Treatment Works, Dougliehill Road, at the junction with the B788 road between Greenock and Kilmacolm.
It will be made up of 12 battery units, a substation, switchroom and associated equipment plus fencing, security cameras, lighting and landscaping.
Battery storage facilities allow energy from renewable sources, like wind farms, to be stored and then released when the power is needed most.
Officials had recommended approval and stated in their report: “The purpose of the development is to provide supporting infrastructure for renewable development.
“It has been assessed that the proposal is largely compatible with the surrounding area and landscape character, minimises the visual impact and does not undermine the long-term quality of the green belt. It is considered that the development is moderate in scale and is not an imposing or overbearing feature in the context of the surrounding landscape.”
The site would be connected to the national electricity grid by underground cable to the Devol Moor substation around 800 metres from the site.
