Specialist renewable energy and battery energy storage developer, Cragside Energy Limited (CEL), has secured planning permission for the construction and operation of a 90MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). The site, located close to Manchester in the UK, is scheduled to be operational in 2027.
It forms part of CELs portfolio of BESS projects currently under development, including 250MW of pre-2030 grid-confirmed projects currently working through the planning system.
At just over 6.5 acres, the site is an excellent platform for the delivery of a multi-hour system which will provide essential energy balancing and system services. CEL worked with Trafford Council to help mitigate landscape and visual impact as part of the early project design and the scheme will deliver significant ecological enhancements to the existing site.
Commenting on the news, Ben Coulston, Managing Director at CEL, said, “A project of this scale and nature will make a significant contribution to the delivery of a decarbonised electricity network. I’m immensely proud of the perseverance of the team in progressing the project to this point, underlining the capability and experience of the team in delivering high calibre projects essential to the energy transition”.
The project was awarded planning permission, following appeal, in October 2024 with the inspector concluding that the project’s very special circumstances outweigh any identified harm. The successful appeal decision follows refusal of the initial application by Trafford Borough Council in December 2023.