RES has submitted a planning application for its up to 100MW Shaneragh battery energy storage system (BESS) proposal, located near Dromore in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
Chosen for its proximity to Dromore substation and lying outside of any national or local environmental designations, the Shaneragh BESS will support the variable generation of renewable energy technologies and manage the complex supply and demand needs of the 21st Century.
Increasing the installed capacity of battery energy storage will be vital to support Northern Ireland’s net-zero emissions target and help to deliver a reliable, resilient, decarbonised electricity system for the future.
Peter Henry, development project manager for RES, said: “The importance of battery energy storage systems was demonstrated in October last year, when the interconnector between the UK and Norway suddenly stopped exporting power to the UK.
“As a result, the frequency of our grid network dropped well below the operational limits and this would have led to power outages had it not been for fast-acting frequency services, like battery energy storage, which were able to recover the system within two minutes.
“As well as playing an important role in decarbonising our energy system and providing grid stability, our Shaneragh proposal would also enhance biodiversity in the local area through proposed new native hedgerow and grassland planting.”
RES has been working in the battery energy storage market for a decade and has developed over 830MW of energy storage projects across the UK and Ireland.
It also currently manages over 600MW of operational storage projects with 24/7/365 monitoring provided from its Glasgow-based control centre.
The Shaneragh battery energy storage proposal is expected to be determined by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s Planning Committee in 2025 and, if consented, would take around 15 months to build.