IT’S the largest battery storage facility in the UK and it’s going to be built in

Swindon.

Planning permission has been given for the project at the former Mannington Depot, which will see the borough council make money by renting the land.

The bid to build the battery was made by Public Power Solutions, which is owned by the authority.

It will store power from the National Grid ‘off line’ until needed.

Steve Cains, head of power solutions at PPS, said: “Local authorities are in a unique position to benefit from the growing demand for electricity storage, with diverse property portfolios

and high energy consumption.

“We’re making it work at home here in Swindon.”

The project is designed to have a 30-year lifespan and will offer a long-term land rental income for Swindon Borough Council.

Connecting large batteries to the National Grid helps to smooth out the peaks and troughs which occur in power demand, and match them better with variable supply.

The council’s cabinet member for sustainability Coun Toby Elliott said: “The fact this will be one of the largest battery storage schemes in the UK speaks volumes for our ambition in Swindon.

“It also shows our willingness to look for innovative ways in which to utilise our assets, generating an income for the council to protect vital services.”

The plant works as a storage facility - power is kept in the batteries until is it ready to be fed into the National Grid at appropriate times by a high-tech computer system.

Having successfully achieved planning consent, PPS is now in discussions with developers seeking battery storage opportunities to take on the funding and construction of the project.

The battery will be able to deliver balancing services for National Grid to help enable the growing proportion of renewable generation in the UK, helping to reduce costs for consumers.

The brownfield site, enclosed between the A3102, railway line and Mannington Retail Park, with a grid connection via the nearby substation at Toothill, was formerly used as a municipal depot.