Plans for huge battery storage facility set for approval
Ted Peskett Local Democracy Reporter
A huge battery storage facility which would play a key role in helping the country turn carbon neutral looks set to be built in Cardiff.
Cardiff Council’s planning committee members will make a decision this week on the planning application for the development, relating to an existing motocross track off Rover Way, Tremorfa.
Members of the committee are recommended to grant permission.
Renewable storage
The site will comprise of an energy park, which will store renewable energy from the National Grid Network, and a data centre.
A planning report on the proposal states that the energy park will have a capacity of 1,000MW of battery storage.
A planning statement produced for the developers, PCG Ltd, LATOs Ltd and TEP Ltd, reads: “The drive to achieve a carbon-neutral energy strategy for the UK is dependent on the use of renewable and green energy.
“Wind and solar power are the most cost-effective forms of energy generation.
“However, particularly around the UK, they are unreliable, meaning they do not generate 24/7 and may not be producing power when it is needed, so, as the UK’s energy requirements continue to grow, electricity storage facilities will help ensure that energy supply is able to meet the demand.
“These facilities allow power to be stored to balance the network when it is required, creating a more secure system that is environmentally and financially sustainable.”
Coastal path
At the moment, the National Grid uses gas generators to provide power when the network is running short.
Energy parks and battery storage systems, like the one being proposed for Tremorfa will play a part in replacing these gas generators.
The planning statement continues: “The energy stored at Tremorfa will be generated elsewhere and provided to it via the National Grid network or directly from other renewable sources.”
Access to the Energy Park will be via an existing roundabout on Rover Way and then along Tide Fields Road.
The Wales Coastal Path runs alongside the eastern edge of the proposed site and it is also next to Celsa Steelworks and the Dwr Cymru/Welsh Water treatment works.
Also nearby is the Rover Way gypsy and travellers site.
The Cardiff Council planning committee meeting will take place at 10.30am on Thursday, October 17.
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Is this any better environmentally than the proposed micro nuclear power stations (different article). It will use Lithium batteries almost certainly. The mining of Lithium is certainly not environmentally friendly, and the labour used is often exploiting. Lithium batteries, if they catch fire or overheat are likely to explode and release toxic fumes into the atmospheric and surrounding ground. Finally we do not yet have the technology for recycling Lithium batteries at scale and possibly will never have an economic method,
So this is just another green Fig leaf to help with government posturing
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Why not use elan valley dams to store surplus energy. The dams are different levels. When surplus energy is present in the grid, pump water from the lower dams to the higher dams and store the energy there. There is already a hydroelectric facility on the lower dam.
Exactly Amir. Why is hydro power not being looked at, it’s a mystery to me.
How much of the energy storage of the battery park will be consumed by the data centre? Will the data centre have priority over residents during any supply shortages?
Who will benefit from the profits from the energy storage and the data centre, and where will they live?
The extraction economy is alive and well…?
Some money to be made by providing backup to grid, s few companies like Kraken(Octopus owned) already benefiting, the Norwegian interconnector dropped out a couple of weeks ago 1.3GW was required instantly, duly supplied by battery storage.
As for data centre what measures are being used to cool it, any heat recovery planned or co-location with heat hungry businesses or domestic heat networks.
When are they going to incorporate tidal energy into the mix? We are surrounded by water for heavens sake.
How many megawatt hours will the proposed battery provide? What will be the cost? Who will pay for it?