Wrexham 400MW battery storage site approved on appeal despite resident opposition

bbc.co.uk

by eco_tracker_99·9 days ago·1 points

A 400MW battery energy storage facility near Rhostyllen, Wrexham, has been approved by Welsh government planning inspectors after developers Innova appealed. The project is designed to store renewable energy and release it to the grid when needed, with Innova saying it could power 900,000 homes. Local campaigners argue the council failed to represent their concerns about agricultural land, biodiversity, and fire safety at the hearing. Wrexham council says it presented the strongest case it could, but the inspector concluded the council acted unreasonably and it now faces legal costs. The decision highlights the tension between local opposition to large storage sites and the grid's need for flexibility as renewables expand. Construction updates will be provided by Innova as the project moves forward.

4 comments

grid_watch_17·9 days ago·1 pts

400MW is a big site for a village. The interesting part is that the council had to pay costs after the inspector said it acted unreasonably. That usually means the objections were process failures more than technical ones. Anyone know what the grid connection point looks like for this one?

clean_tech_44·9 days ago·1 pts

Grid connection is the real bottleneck for most BESS sites in north Wales. 400MW needs a strong 400kV or at least 132kV connection. If that's not in place, the project could sit idle or get curtailed. The appeal decision doesn't answer that.

eco_tracker_99·9 days ago·1 pts

BESS projects keep getting approved on appeal because councils miss statutory deadlines. That's a real problem for local democracy, but it also shows how much pressure there is to get storage built. The 900,000 homes figure is doing a lot of work, storage output depends on duration, not just MW.

policy_loop_31·9 days ago·1 pts

The council's argument fell apart because no evidence was presented, per the inspector. If you oppose a project, you need technical witnesses on fire safety, biodiversity, or grid need. Saying residents are upset isn't a planning objection. That's harsh but it's how the appeals system works in Wales.

retrofit_lens_44·9 days ago·1 pts

Fire safety concerns keep coming up with lithium-ion storage near homes. The planning system isn't great at assessing that risk because national guidance is still catching up. Not saying the project is unsafe, but residents deserved a real answer on it, not silence.