Plans submitted for £350m Leicestershire battery site

A new £350m battery site could be built on land in Leicestershire if plans are given the green light.

Renewable energy firm Exagen says that plans for the Normanton Energy Reserve, a 500 MW / 1 GWh grid-scale battery site on land to the northeast of Earl Shilton, have been submitted to Blaby District Council.

If built, the 500MW/1GWh battery site will be capable of powering 235,000, or 80% of the homes in Leicestershire for two hours.

The battery site, which is around ten times larger than the majority of battery projects currently providing storage for the grid, will connect directly to the transmission network.

Exagen has plans to use approximately 45% of the 19 acres of land to improve biodiversity. This will include extending Normanton Millennium Wood with a new path open to the public, as well as the option of wildflower meadows, providing land for beekeeping and new hedgerows and tree planting.

The firm says it hopes the site will be connected to the Grid by 2028.

Mark Rowcroft, development director at Exagen said: “We’re committed to transforming energy for good, bringing batteries onto the grid to ensure we can store energy and keep the lights on when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow. That’s why we’re excited to work with local communities and businesses to ensure the project is not only bringing clean, home-grown energy onto our grid, but that the site is also benefitting the local area.

“Over the next few months, we’ll be announcing a variety of opportunities for individuals and businesses to get involved. We look forward to hearing from those in Thurlaston, Earl Shilton and the surrounding area about how we can make this site best work for them long-term.”