Plans submitted for Paisley battery storage system

Plans to develop a battery energy storage system (BESS) on a section of land in Paisley have been submitted to Renfrewshire Council.

Bluestone Energy has lodged a bid for planning permission for the proposal on a brownfield site at Laighpark Water Treatment Works in Abercorn Street.

If approved, the 49.5MW facility would feature a range of components including 24 battery storage units, a security gate, fencing and CCTV.

A planning statement said: “The BESS will provide up to 49.5MW (alternating current) of storage capacity via shipping container-like modules with batteries, air conditioning units and inverter units, delivering two hours of power delivery back to the national grid.

“The proposed development consists of 24 containerised battery storage units and 12 battery compacted medium voltage stations, each housed within an enclosure measuring approximately 6.1 metres wide, 2.9 metres high and a depth of 2.4 metres, located across one dedicated compound.

“Each housed unit will be supported on concrete plinths, anticipated to be 0.2 metres in height, making the maximum height of any individual unit 3.2 metres above ground level.

“The site will be accessed via an existing access from Abercorn Street, with gated vehicular accesses, both on the eastern side of the site.”

The site is located on a “redundant plot of land” at Laighpark, according to the planning statement, which is under the ownership of Scottish Water.

It is situated to the south of the M8 and to the east of White Cart Water, with the wider area “overwhelmingly utilised” for industrial and commercial uses.

The planning statement added: “The site is not adjacent to any residential dwellings, and, due to its low-lying design and the character of the enveloping industrial and commercial development landscape, there would be no detrimental visual impacts.

“The site offers pre-existing access via the water works and Abercorn Street, which would also provide access during the construction and operational stages of the proposed development.

“White Cart Water is located 25m west of the site. The river is a tidal influenced water course, and the accompanying flood risk assessment confirms that the site is at low risk of fluvial and tidal flooding.

“The risk of flooding from other sources is deemed negligible.”

A decision on the application, which is expected to be made by the planning and climate change policy board, will be confirmed at a later date.