Battery storage scheme approved to support Scottish renewable energy

A large battery energy storage system near Thurso in Caithness has been approved by the Scottish government, helping renewable energy projects operate with more flexibility.

The Rigifa battery storage scheme will have a capacity of about 200 MW on a 45-hectare site at Phillips Mains Farm, roughly a mile from the village of Mey. Scottish ministers said battery storage allows wind and solar farms to keep running when the electricity grid cannot cope with the amount of energy they generate, rather than having to be switched off.

The RSPB objected on the grounds that the site lies near the Caithness Lochs Special Protection Area, where geese and swans spend winter, raising concerns about foraging habitat loss. Historic Environment Scotland concluded the development would not adversely affect the nearby Castle of Mey.

Battery energy storage systems store renewable energy in lithium-ion batteries when the grid cannot accept it, then release power when demand is high. The government said that on balance, the impacts were acceptable in the context of the scheme's benefits.

Gilbert