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MP opposes plan for rural energy storage plant

Charlie Smith
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Phil Coomes/BBC A close-up of a white three-point plug in front of a white wall socket.Phil Coomes/BBC
The company behind the proposal said the plant would store excess electricity generated by wind farms and solar farms

An MP has opposed plans for an electricity storage plant in the countryside the size of 10 football pitches.

Statkraft UK Ltd, which produces renewable energy, wants to build the 8.6-hectare (21-acre) plant close to a substation at the village of East Claydon in Buckinghamshire.

Greg Smith, the Conservative MP for Mid Buckinghamshire, said: "Once again, I will be objecting to this in the strongest possible terms."

A Statkraft spokesperson said the site - to store excess electricity generated by wind and solar farms which could then be released into the National Grid - could "help play an important role in decarbonising the UK".

They added the plant, called a Greener Grid Park, would "ensure the electricity grid can remain resilient, replacing the stability previously provided by fossil fuel generation".

The spokesperson said East Claydon was a "strategically important area on the transmission grid, with a need for storage and stability".

"Projects like this are a crucial part of the transition towards using cleaner forms of home-grown renewable electricity, which will mean cheaper bills for homes and businesses," they added.

Statkraft A computer-generated image shows what the site could look like from the air. Two large-areas of hard-standing have rows and rows of shipping containers, which contain the batteries. The plant is surrounded by fields and hedges. Statkraft
Batteries in rows of containers would store the electricity

Claydons Solar Action Group (CSAG), which describes itself as "a collective of concerned residents from nearby villages", told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) it was "passionate" about keeping the countryside "safe".

CSAG claimed battery energy storage units and solar farms were "destroying our countryside".

In the application to Buckinghamshire Council, Statkraft said the plant would be a "reserve power supply" for the local electricity grid.

The electricity would be stored in batteries in rows and rows of containers.

Statkraft said the plant was "sensitively designed" existing woodland would be retained.

The plan includes lighting, CCTV masts, fencing, office buildings, internal access roads and underground water tanks to help with fire protection.

In June, CSAG is holding a walk to "highlight just how much of our beautiful countryside will be lost to battery energy storage systems and solar".

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