'All power to Somerset' as council leads the way in generating income
A Somerset Council now plans to fund more public services by storing surplus energy and then selling it back to the National Grid.
South Somerset already has a 30 MW site near Taunton, where surplus energy is stored until it is needed by the National Grid.
The council is now, through its joint venture energy company SSDC Opium Power, building a 40MW Battery Storage facility near Fareham in Hampshire which will be one of the most-advanced in the UK.
John Clark, South Somerset District Council's portfolio holder for economy and income generation, said: "Now that our partnership has successfully completed the Taunton BESS project, and it is fully functioning as intended, we are in a unique position nationally to take on similar projects with experience and confidence; the Fareham project provides an ideal follow-up.
"With the risk reduced from our experience, we can be very confident that the new project will generate a very good return to help retain vital services.
"In light of Covid 19 the council has taken a full review of its priorities and environment strategy as part of its own economic and environmental recovery plan.
"This is to help the country build back better and consider its future sustainability and that of the wider UK.
"Part of this review saw the council decide to invest further in Renewable Energy and Battery Storage to remain at the cutting edge of renewable energy storage and fully demonstrate its commitment to its environmental goals."
Sarah Dyke, South Somerset District Council's portfolio holder for environment, said "As well as finding significant efficiency savings, the council is committed to protecting front line services and meeting its ambition to improve life in South Somerset.
"To achieve that aim whilst we are being more commercial in our approach, we also take our role in caring for the environment seriously. We are committed to doing all we can to promote the efficient use of energy resources locally and UK wide.
"The idea of battery energy storage is simple - batteries store excess energy production at low usage periods, that would otherwise be wasted, and resupply it to the grid when needed at peak times.
"The council has previously announced that it wanted to expand the site in Taunton to maximise the capacity and benefits, and the new investment is another demonstration of the council's ongoing vision of creating more income generation opportunities.
"The council is using its resources to make investments which provide a better return than the traditional property investments, so we can inject more money into the services we deliver for our communities. Our strategy is to protect and improve core services, improve the environment, deliver public priorities and act in the best long-term interests of the district.
"By investing further in battery energy storage, the Council is taking its next steps as a growing leader in this UK industry of owning and developing renewable energy, which will provide essential support to the National Grid for balancing UK power demand and storing renewable energy that would otherwise be wasted."
South Somerset District Council Leader Val Keitch said: "This second project builds on our experience and expertise, helps our environment and delivers commercial income, which is just what we want our environmental and commercial strategy to deliver.
"Our team has worked incredibly hard to maximise development of our first site near Taunton and to secure this exciting second development and investment; all during the added challenges of Covid-19. It will not only help the wider environment, but also provide invaluable revenue to help protect and strengthen vital services for our communities in south Somerset."