Independent energy infrastructure developer Carlton Power has received planning permission for a 1,040 MW / 2,080 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS). The project is expected to strengthen the sustainability of the energy system in North West England.
Based on the final investment decision, the construction of the 1,040 MW / 2,080 MWh BESS project could start in the first quarter of 2024 and is scheduled to enter commercial operation in the last quarter of 2025.
Carton Power said it was “advancing negotiations with companies to finance, build and operate the Trafford BESS”.
Trafford BESS is the company’s second major energy project, which has received council permission for the approximately 12-hectare Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park, eight miles south of Manchester, on the site of a former coal-fired power station.
Another project is Carlton’s 200 MW Trafford Green Hydrogen system. Its first phase of 15–20 MW is scheduled to be put into commercial use in the last quarter of 2025.
“Carlton Power acquired the former coal-fired power station in 2008 to develop the site for new energy projects,” said Carlton Power founder and CEO Keith Clarke. “The approval of BESS brings the total investment value of the site to £2bn, bringing significant economic benefits to the Greater Manchester region and helping to achieve regional net zero targets.”
In addition to Carlton Power’s two projects, Highview Power Storage is planning to build a £250m 250MWh long-term liquefied air energy storage system at Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park. These projects support the region’s goal of zero carbon emissions by 2038.
