£20m Dundee battery storage plant starts operation

The huge investment helps to combat intermittent power generation from renewables.

A £20 million battery storage facility in Dundee which could be the solution to intermittent power generation from renewable sources has become operational.

The site on South Road, near Lynch Sports Centre, has been developed for more than a year by environmental infrastructure fund JLEN.

The West Gourdie 50MW lithium-ion plant is the company's first grid-scale battery project.

It is connected to Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution plc's distribution network to reduce volatility in the system.

Chris Tanner, investment manager for JLEN, said: "Seeing JLEN's first battery storage investment become operational is a significant milestone for the company.

"Battery energy storage projects play a vital role in advancing the decarbonisation agenda by reducing system imbalance, enhancing the grid's ability to harness a greater level of intermittent renewables."

The development site is on the opposite side of the road from the Lynch Sports Centre. It is next to a football pitch and the Balgarthno Stone Circle.

It was selected due to its proximity to existing grid infrastructure and being close to Dundee, which has a large energy demand.

The batteries will supply energy to the grid during times of low renewable energy output. They will recharge during times of high output.

JLEN bought the rights from Gigabox South Road Limited, who were granted planning permission for the two-acre Dundee site in 2020.

It had been due to open last year, but delays in the supply chain delayed the project.

Surrounded by a high wooden fence it contains 50 energy storage units, an electrical substation building, transformers and CCTV columns.

Construction was undertaken by EPC Contractor Anesco Limited, with management oversight from the Foresight Group construction team. The project will be operated by Flexitricity.

Mr Tanner said JLEN would look to develop other battery-storage assets.

He added: "Investments such as these provide attractive returns over time. We are therefore pleased to have provided JLEN investors with exposure to this exciting asset class."

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