Statkraft has secured planning permission for a grid stabilising project (pictured) in Norfolk, UK, which should allow more renewable energy to be transmitted through the network.
Even when there is enough renewable energy to meet the demands of homes and businesses, National Grid ESO – who run the electricity system in Great Britain – sometimes need to pause wind and solar farms, and turn fossil fuel power stations back on, just to provide stability to the electricity network.
They have identified Norfolk as an area which requires grid stabilisation.
This new Necton Greener Grid Park will provide that in a clean, green way, helping to make fossil fuels a thing of the past, Statkraft said.
The stability is provided by large machines, called synchronous compensators.
These are designed to deliver the inertia needed to stabilise the grid and eliminate the need to run fossil-fired power plants for this purpose.
The site, when constructed, would closely resemble a collection of buildings similar to agricultural barns and storage units.
Statkraft already operates two Greener Grid Parks; Keith in north-east Scotland, and Lister Drive, in Liverpool, and is currently developing and constructing further grid stability projects across the UK.
Construction on Necton is expected to take up to 18 months, and begin in winter.
Necton Greener Grid Park will also deliver a community fund of £20,000 per year, supporting environmental projects in the local area, during the lifetime of the project.
Sacha Lloyd Rutherford, Statkraft’s Necton project manager, said: “Our Greener Grid Parks are a key tool in helping Great Britain transition to green energy.
“It means we’ll eventually end the need to turn on polluting fossil fuel power stations, just to provide stability to the electricity grid.
“Projects like this one in Norfolk will allow more wind and solar to be built and connected.
“I want to thank all everyone who has engaged with the project team, provided feedback and helped shape our plans, and to Breckland Council, for backing the scheme.
“Statkraft will continue to play a key role in delivering innovative solutions like this and help to break our reliance on fossil fuels for good.”