The plans include several elements aimed at benefiting the community. These include more than 12 acres of land dedicated to woodland creation and wildflower meadows, planting 129 trees, and creating a new permissive footpath through the site. The site is expected to bring a biodiversity net gain of at least 25.7%.

Elements Green executive chairman Mark Turner commented: “Securing planning permission is a remarkable achievement for our team. We are preparing to begin construction and bring our vision to life, creating not only a state-of-the-art energy storage solution but also making a positive contribution to the local environment with additional planting and the creation of a permissive path. Through its connection into the existing national grid substation at Staythorpe, the project builds on the Trent Valley’s long history of powering the UK.”

“We are excited about the future and the positive impact this project will have on our organisation and the broader community,” Turner said.

“The UK Government has set ambitious and legally binding targets to eliminate carbon emissions by 2050. More renewable energy is needed to fast-track away from fossil fuels, and energy storage and large-scale solar development are recognised as having an important role in achieving this.”

The UK has been ranked the world’s third most attractive country for BESS development in Ernst & Young’s (EY’s) latest edition of its Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI), and major investment into the sector has been on the rise.

This story first appeared on Solar Power Portal.