Plans for new battery storage facility in Nairn take step forward as councillors wary of impact of new developments
Councillors urged to consider the cumulative impact of major energy facility developments as plans for a new battery storage unit in Nairn took a step forward.
Members of the south planning applications committee commented on the submission of a Proposal of Application Notice by company Anesco Ltd to build a battery energy storage system (BESS) on land at Blackpark, to the southeast of the town.
Concerns were raised earlier this year as it emerged that five of such facilities are currently at various stages of planning at a short range from each other.
Nairn and Cawdor councillor Paul Oldham, who was appointed as chair of the committee during the meeting, backed comments by Aird and Loch Ness Ward David Fraser who said that “cumulative impacts” will need to be taken into account - also in relation to the increasing number of applications for pump storage hydro projects near Loch Ness.
Cllr Oldham said: “This is now the fifth battery storage system that we have within a one-square-mile area to the southeast of Nairn, close to Auldearn.
“We do have to wonder whether we will have a situation where five of them are all fighting for access to the substation.”
Nairn Provost, Cllr Laurie Fraser, added: “I am concerned that it could end up as a negative bidding war for these people.
“The real thing is now that when we passed the original we didn’t have the full information on the fire risks and the risk of explosion, so I hope that we will get some more information when the new applications come in.”
David Mudie, area planning manager, replied: “Fire risk itself is not a material planning consideration, but there are issues relating to fire risks which will be environmental harm for example - so we are very much looking at these applications in more detail and we are still pushing for guidance from the Scottish Government in how to deal with some of those tricky or trickier environmental impacts.
“We are still considering some of those issues. We are taking into account the guidance from the Fire Chiefs Council to protect this aspect, which is as members will be aware still very much alive in UK parliamentary debate as well.”
Renewable energy company Anesco announced its intention to submit a planning application to develop a 30MW energy storage project on approximately five acres of land by Blackpark farm, earlier this year.
This would be in addition to another ongoing project being developed in the area by Blackpark Energy Storage Limited.
A public exhibition for Anesco’s plans was to be held at the Nairn Community Centre in October.
Other battery storage projects in Nairn include one at Househill sought by Whirlwind Energy Storage Limited (which was approved in February 2023 despite objections from Nairn River Community Council), OPDEnergy’s development at Grigorhill, which is currently at an early stage and one at Russell’s Wood by Whirlwind Energy Storage Limited on land off Granny Barbours Road.
