Root-Power has submitted planning applications for five BESS projects across England, with a combined capacity of 210MW.
If approved, the proposed projects will be located in Reading, Manchester, Lancashire, Rotherham, and Rochdale. The largest of these, the Lancashire project, will have a 60MW 2-hour duration export capacity, with the Reading and Rotherham projects having an export capacity of 50MW and 40MW respectively, and the Manchester and Rochdale projects each having a 30MW capacity.
Neil Brooks, managing director at Root-Power said: “We’re incredibly excited to have submitted five further planning applications over the past month, which will see Root-Power go from strength to strength as we look to grow our portfolio of owned and operated battery energy storage projects across the UK.
“This latest announcement reflects our unwavering commitment to innovation and growth. As we continue to expand, we will be able to drive meaningful change toward a more sustainable future. Our market-leading team of industry experts are looking forward to developing and growing our portfolio throughout the rest of 2024 and into 2025.”
Root-Power on the rise
Despite being a relatively new face in the UK BESS sector, launching earlier this year as a specialized BESS offshoot of YLEM Energy, Root-Power already has a 2GW portfolio and is rapidly seeking expansion.
Last month, the company appointed several major planning consultancy firms to accelerate the delivery of its 40-project pipeline, for which it will continue to submit planning applications across the remainder of this year. One of the largest projects in the pipeline, the 100MW/200MWh Granborough Project in Buckinghamshire, has already reached the advanced development stage of the planning process.
In an exclusive article for Solar Power Portal’s sister site Current±, Brooks highlighted the crucial importance of BESS in the UK’s move towards net zero, calling batteries “the most adaptable solution for stabilising the intermittent nature of wind and solar power generation”.
However, he notes that the BESS sector is under-supported in the UK energy mix, adding that “to fully leverage the benefits of BESS, the UK energy sector must advocate for their value in the energy transition, raise consumer awareness, and push for planning reforms to accelerate adoption and encourage investment opportunities”.
