Support our planning application
Support Pond Flexible Energy Park
OnPath Energy is planning a new energy park on the Pond Industrial Estate near Bathgate, between Edinburgh and Glasgow, to store renewable electricity to help drive the UK’s transition to net zero.
Battery storage systems (BESS) are set to play a huge role in the country’s transition to 100% renewable energy, removing our reliance on large fossil fueled power stations. BESS, like the one we’re proposing at Pond Flexible Energy Park, enable us to store renewable electricity for times when the wind isn’t blowing or the sun isn’t shining.
OnPath Energy (then Banks Renewables) submitted a planning application under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 to the Scottish Government Energy Consents Unit (ECU) seeking consent for Pond Flexible Energy Park. This application also applies for a direction under Section 57(2) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 for planning permission for the development to be deemed granted.
Any persons wishing to make formal representations should do so by contacting the ECU on their website, by email or by post, quoting the application reference ECU00004765. Full contact details are available www.energyconsents.scot.
A copy of the full Pond Flexible Energy Park planning application can a be found here.
200MW
maximum export capacity when fully charged
£20,000
annual community benefit fund, delivered by a local panel
240,000 homes
would have their peak demands met by Pond for two hours
36,000 tCO2e
saved annually compared to fossil fuel based storage
£130 million
total investment
£1.6 million
paid in annual wages during the construction phase
Key Benefits
Pond Flexible Energy Park
Pond Flexible Energy Park will store surplus electricity when consumer demand is low, and release it back on to the National Grid when demand is high. This helps balance the grid network and make the most of these renewable energy sources. At the moment, most of this balancing is done by importing power from abroad or burning carbon-intensive gas.
Pond Flexible Energy Park would therefore provide a safe, sustainable solution using safe, non carbon-emitting technology. We propose to house it on the existing industrial estate, therefore it won’t be using up any green land.
Key benefits:
- Replaces carbon-intensive gas on the UK energy network
- Reduces the UK’s reliance on imported energy and improves energy security
- Enables more renewables on the grid
- Protects and enhances existing local biodiversity
- Over £1,000,000 in community benefits made available over the lifetime of the project
- Annual business rates contribution of £950,000
Key Facts
Pond Flexible Energy Park
- Potential energy storage: 200MW, two hour battery – enough to supply the peak demands of 240,000 homes for two hours (or the average demands of 600,000)
- Location: Pond Industrial Estate, Whitburn Road, Bathgate
- Size of area: Up to 3 hectares
- Current land use: Industrial estate / carpark
- Investment: Around £130M+
- Construction period: 18 months
- Economy boost: The project will deliver around £1.6 million in annual wages during the construction period.
- Lifespan: Up to 50 years in operation
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