The renewable energy company Apatura has announced a reduction in the planned surface area of the Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) battery power plant from 29 hectares to 8.5 hectares. This decision was made in response to concerns raised by the local community during a public consultation last summer.
Residents in the vicinity of the site, located in East Dunbartonshire on Cochno Road, were informed in July of the plans to build a 560 MW lithium-ion battery facility on a 29-hectare plot. If the project is realized, the power plant could become the largest of its kind in Europe.
Two public meetings, conducted by the consulting firm AAH, were held at the Skypoint Centre. Apatura claims to have listened to the residents’ opinions and addressed their concerns.
An Apatura spokesperson stated, “Apatura is not aware of any statutory deadlines for Section 36 applications, and each application is considered on its own merits. Therefore, we are unable to confirm the expected date of decision at this time.
“Despite the lack of a statutory requirement, Apatura engaged in pre-application consultations with the local community, including the organization of two meetings.
“All comments received during the pre-application consultations regarding this project have been taken into account by the company. As part of these deliberations, the overall land utilization area has been reduced to approximately 8.5 hectares to also minimize the project’s impact.”
Concerned residents of the proposed project gathered on January 26th at Skypoint, where an “overflowing attendance and standing-room-only meeting” took place. Attendees included Douglas McAllister, a representative from the Labour Party, Councillor Lawrence O’Neill, and SNP Councillor Sophie Traynor.
McAllister said, “I was able to inform those present that West Dunbartonshire Council had received the final version of the consultative document from the Scottish Government’s Energy Consent Unit. The Section 36 application bypasses local planning committees and will be considered by Scottish Ministers. The final decision on this project will rest with the SNP government ministers at Holyrood.
“In the summer of 2023, when I learned of this project, I called for West Dunbartonshire Council to be recognized as a consultee. Therefore, this matter will be discussed by the Planning Committee of West Dunbartonshire Council, and our response will be submitted to the Scottish Government.”
Residents have until February 21, 2024, to submit their opinions to Scottish ministers.
FAQ on Apatura’s Battery Power Plant
The source of the article is from the blog enp.gr