An appeal against a refused scheme for a Pembrokeshire ‘battery box’ unit to provide electricity storage during off-peak times, has been lodged.
In an application refused by Pembrokeshire County Council in February, AMP Clean Energy sought permission for the construction and operation of a micro energy storage project at St Daniel’s Hill and St Daniel’s Drive, Pembroke.
That application was one of many AMP has submitted in the county.
A supporting statement accompanying the application said AMP’s battery boxes import electricity from the local electricity network when demand for electricity is low or when there are high levels of renewable energy available, exporting it back during periods of high demand to help address grid reliability issues prompted by an increase of intermittent (wind and solar) generation of the electricity system.
AMP Clean Energy says each box, which takes up roughly two car parking spaces, stores 800kWh of electricity, giving the potential to power 200 homes for four hours where there is a disruption to supply.
The statement added: “The UK’s electricity system was traditionally dominated by a small number of large power stations fuelled by fossil fuel (namely coal and natural gas). However, the system is now becoming increasingly supplied by intermittent sources of renewable energy such as wind and solar power.
“Renewable power generation does not always match when the demand for electricity is highest. To overcome this, we need a more flexible energy system that allows us to shift renewable energy to the periods of the day when the demand for power is at its greatest.”
The application was refused on the grounds of potential noise impact on residents, it would “be wholly at odds with the established character and appearance of the area, eroding its rural qualities and introducing an incongruous and visually discordant element into the landscape,” and potential highway safety impacts through “driver distraction and encroachment into established sightlines”.
Since that refusal, AMP has lodged an appeal with Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW).
The appeal disputes the significance of any noise impact, and says the proposed installation is “compact, low-lying, and no more visually prominent than standard roadside utility cabinets commonly found across Pembrokeshire,” with the applicant “more than happy to provide wooden fencing as an alternative to screen the equipment and help it blend in better with the surrounding environment”.
Of the potential highway safety reason, it says: “The claim there will be an impact to highway safety is completely speculative and not based on any evidence whatsoever. This reason should be dismissed.”
The appeal will be heard at a later date.
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