UK’s largest STOR electricity plant secures planning permission

PLANNING permission has been secured for the construction of a Yorkshire-based back-up generation system to the National Grid.

The Short Term Operating Reserve (STOR) electricity generation plant – the largest scheme of its type in the UK – will be housed on part of the former Gascoigne Wood Mine Site at Sherburn-in-Elmet, Selby, North Yorkshire and will be built by Bristol firm Precision Diesel Enterprise.
 
STOR is one of the National Grid’s most important tools for ensuring long-term security of the UK’s national electricity requirements. The scheme will provide back-up generation to the grid at times when capacity is severely short. These reserve services are needed if a power station fails for example, or if forecast demand differs from actual demand.
 
Claire Harron, associate in planning and design consultancy Barton Willmore’s Leeds office, which helped secure the planning permission, said as well as creating local jobs, an additional benefit of the scheme is that it will re-use vacant previously developed land. 
 
She said: “At 49.9MW this is the largest scheme of its type in the UK and demonstrates the need to address the issue of the UK’s grid capacity for ensuring the long-term security of our national electricity requirements.
 
“Careful consideration has been given to ensure that the scale and look of the site is compatible with the surrounding area and visual impact will be minimised.”
 
Selby District Council granted planning permission for the scheme and work is set to begin in the autumn.