New battery compound plan to 'help combat climate change'
Plans have been submitted for a battery storage compound on farm land next to the M5 on the outskirts of the Black Country.
Dudley Council chiefs are considering a scheme that would see a new battery facility built on 2.5 acres of land at Lowlands Farm, Illey Lane, Halesowen.
Applicants Greystoke Land and Anglo Renewables say the compound, which borders Bromsgrove, will help meet a demand for renewable energy that is "growing rapidly" due to the move towards electric cars and boilers.
The site will sit on the opposite side of the motorway to Kitwell substation.
It will encompass a compound featuring battery storage containers, a power control system, a substation, CCTV monitoring and a car park.
There will also be a new access road from Illey Lane.
A statement accompanying the plans says the site will help meet the need for new infrastructure required to manage the storage and distribution of renewable energy.
It says that once up and running, the site will "offer network balancing and stabilisation services" that will contribute towards combatting climate change.
This will be done by importing electricity from the Western Power Distribution (WPD) network at times of low demand and high production, the statement adds.
The electricity will then be converted from AC to DC and battery cells will be charged to store the energy, which will then be exported back to the network at times of high demand.
The statement adds: "The need to achieve net zero and continue with ambitious targets for looking to reverse climate change has recently been restated by the Government.
"There is now a very strong imperative from Government to achieve this and the proposed development is intended to help contribute to meeting these critical national and international carbon emission reductions."
