Renewable energy company Apatura has secured permission for a 400 megawatt (MW) capacity Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) near Stirling.

The planned project at Denny near the village of Plean will cover 11.2 hectares of land, is the seventh battery storage project that Apatura has received planning consent for in the last 12 months bringing its total consented pipeline to 1.4GW.

Andrew Philpott, chief development officer at Apatura, said: “Our focus on Scotland is central to our vision to harness its renewable energy potential. These latest approvals reinforce Scotland’s strategic advantage in delivering resilient energy infrastructure. 

“By securing strategic locations and grid connections, we are directly contributing to the UK’s energy security strategy, ensuring a stable and sustainable power supply. This is also a central goal of the NESO Beyond 2023 report which highlighted the vital role of BESS in Scotland.”

The Denny BESS site, which will comprise a battery electricity storage facility and associated infrastructure and the planting of native species trees to improve biodiversity, was approved yesterday by the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit.

When it comes online, it will contribute to the Scottish Government’s goal of generating 50% of Scotland’s overall energy consumption from renewable sources, and by 2050 to have decarbonised its energy system almost completely.

A BESS stores excess electricity during periods of high generation and low demand, releasing it back into the grid when demand increases. This enhances grid stability and supports the transition to renewable energy.

Scottish Ministers concluded that the proposed new development will “support the resilience of the electricity network through the electricity it [stores] and the additional technical services it can provide to the electricity system operator.

“It will contribute to sustainable development, providing for greater and more efficient use of renewable energy generation in the electricity system, and in this regard, it will contribute to greenhouse gas emissions reduction ambitions.”