Climate change: Vast new battery park could meet demands of all the homes in Edinburgh and Glasgow combined

Plans have been unveiled for a vast battery storage project in West Lothian that could supply the short-term demands of more homes than Edinburgh and Glasgow combined.

Banks Renewables said it was expecting to invest in excess of £100 million developing Pond Energy Park, which would see a section of an industrial estate near Bathgate re-designed into a two-hectare battery site. The proposals are expected to be submitted for planning permission later this year.

The facility would have an export capacity of 200 megawatts over two hours. When fully charged, that would be sufficient to supply the average demands of 600,000 homes for that two-hour period – more homes than Scotland’s two largest cities combined. Banks said the new site was set to deliver opportunities for local businesses in areas such as construction, groundworks, civil engineering and remediation. The Scottish developer is best known for its onshore wind projects in South Lanarkshire, including the construction of the UK’s tallest onshore wind turbines at its Kype Muir Extension site near Strathaven.

Gordon Thomson, projects director at Banks Renewables, said: “The proposed Pond battery storage project in West Lothian marks a very exciting time for us here at Banks Renewables. Battery storage projects like this are becoming increasingly important in Scotland’s push for net zero. When it’s not sunny or windy, battery energy storage can allow us to dip into the reserves by using pre-generated energy in the batteries to supply to the national grid and reducing our reliance on energy derived from imported fossil fuels.”

An image of how a battery energy storage park might look.

Battery storage, or battery energy storage systems (BESS), are devices that store and enable energy from renewables, like solar and wind farms. Natural fluctuations in weather conditions mean that renewable electricity generation can often be out of step with demand and batteries can help address this by storing surplus generation when demand is low and releasing it when demand is higher - maximising the efficiency of renewable energy. If approved, the new site will be based at Pond Industrial Estate on Whitburn Road to the south-east of Bathgate.

Thomson added: “The project is in its very early stages but, as always, we’re committed to listening to the local community’s views and ideas as we develop our planning application so that we can maximise the benefits of the project for everyone concerned. Pond battery storage would add another arm to our renewable portfolio, helping to support Scotland on its journey towards a net zero transition. With this, and other positive projects in the pipeline, we’re certainly going through an exciting time at Banks Renewables.”

The first in-person consultation event is due to take place on October 12, from 2pm to 7pm, at the Jim Walker Partnership Centre in Bathgate. Here, members of the community will be invited to give their thoughts, help shape the proposals and highlight key local priorities that could be addressed using community benefits.

Banks Renewables is part of the Banks Group and has currently secured planning permission for 14 wind farms with seven currently in operation across Scotland.