Energy storage plan for Fife countryside gets green light

The new energy storage facility will be built on 2.5 acres of unused farm ground near Leslie and it will feed into the national electricity grid at times of high demand.

The major development from Glenrothes BESS Ltd to develop the 46MW battery energy storage facility at Ballingall Farm was approved unanimously by the West and Central Planning committee. Developers say the 16 battery facility will national energy security and help the UK reach its net-zero targets.

The development will, as a minimum, will have the ability to provide electricity to over 19,189 homes every year. The facility will be an alternative/replacement for gas fired power generation in providing a rapid response to satisfy peak demand, and it will equate to annual saving of 19,011 CO2 metric tonnes.

The proposals include the development of 16 battery units; 16 inverter units; 8 transformers; a substation building; a storage unit; a security gate; CCTV; and an access track. Access to the site will be taken from the A911, High street, Leslie road onto the Falkland Hill road which travels past Ballingall Farm onwards.

However, once constructed, the development will have minimal traffic movement for maintenance only.

“The impact to the public road infrastructure will be negligible. The development, including internal access, will have no impact to road users or local residents,” developers said.

The development is not the first of its kind to be approved in Fife. Last month, the west and central committee approved plans to build an energy storage system between Kirkcaldy and Thornton. Plans were previously approved for another similar facility at Leslie’s Pitkevy Farm as well.

Councillor Lea McLelland (SNP for Lochgelly, Cardenden and Benarty) pointed out that plans for yet another energy storage facility have just recently been announced for Kirklands Farm near Ballingry.

Cllr McLelland said the proposals have create a stir in the community: “I’m getting bombarded right now by this matter in Ballingry."

The battery farms are aimed at addressing both climate change and improving UK energy security.

“Climate change is generally considered to be the greatest existential threat to the environment, our way of living and humanity in general. Addressing this huge challenge requires a sea change in how we live our lives in the future and the decisions we make,” developers said.

“In addition to this, recent months have brought into stark focus the need for the UK to improve its energy security to ensure continuity of supply, reduce costs to the consumer and avoid future price spikes caused by geo-political events.”

They say that the UK government has set out plans to “decarbonise the power grid” by 2035. The British Energy Security Strategy also outlines commitments to develop “a low-cost net zero consistent electricity system, supported by large scale long duration electricity storage.”