Kona Energy has secured consent from the Scottish government for a 228MW battery energy storage system (BESS).
The Smeaton BESS project is located near Dalkeith, East Lothian.
The site will store energy from renewable sources and release it during peak demand, reducing grid constraints and lowering energy costs for consumers.
The project’s strategic geographical location will play a critical role in enhancing grid resilience and supporting the UK’s transition to a zero-carbon future.
The Smeaton BESS will help reduce energy constraints and related costs on the UK grid.
National Grid ESO estimates show constraint costs could reach as high as £3bn in 2029, with the bulk of this coming from curtailing wind in Scotland.
Projects such as the Smeaton BESS are vital in bringing these costs down, reducing bills for consumers and preventing the waste of clean energy generation.
With the nearby Torness nuclear power station due to shut down in 2028, the project will also play a key role in improving local network stability.
The scheme aligns with Kona Energy’s ongoing work with the Electricity System Operator (ESO) and National Grid to mitigate energy constraints and improve network stability.
Kona jointly wrote a proposal paper illustrating how ESO can use batteries to rapidly reduce the public cost of constraints. This was done in partnership with Zenobe, Eku and Field in response to the ESO’s Constraints Collaboration Project.
Kona Energy, advised by Opus Corporate Finance, will shortly be seeking investment to bring the Smeaton BESS project to market.