The project in Caterham, Surrey will generate 12MW and has a 2025 connection date to the grid

We’re excited to announce that we have received planning permission for a new battery energy storage site in Caterham, Surrey.

The site, adjacent to Caterham Bypass, will add a further 12MW to Root-Power’s growing portfolio when it goes live in 2025, and has been designed with a 4-hour storage duration, enough to power around 24,000 homes which is equivalent to the entire population of Caterham.

The news comes following an exhaustive development process resulting from the project’s sensitive location within both the Greenbelt and the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

Our team consulted extensively with the AONB officers and local wildlife groups ahead of submitting the planning application in late 2023 and then supplemented the planning application with a comprehensive Alternative Site Assessment (ASA) and Greenbelt Justification Report.

Development factors such as proximity to the Point of Connection (POC), distance from residential properties, size and location of potential alternative sites within the area, were all considered to rule out alternative locations. The report concluded there were no other suitable locations for development which fell outside of the AONB or green belt, a conclusion which was supported by the ANOB officer.

The development site is also designated as one of the UK’s 56 ‘Habitats of Principle Importance’ (HPI) and it was required to demonstrate that the existing habitat was possible to replace before planning the development could progress. We achieved this through a combination of on-site biodiversity initiatives and through an agreement to secure off-site biodiversity units via a habitat bank making the project one of the first in the country to be consented conditioned on securing off-site biodiversity units and the first for Tandridge Council.

Neil Brooks, Managing Director at Root-Power said: “We’re thrilled to have received the planning consent for our new site in Caterham, Surrey. Because of the project’s unique combination of planning constraints it has been a challenging project to secure planning consent for and we are pleased we’ve been able to secure this consent via delegated decision, without the need for appeal.

I’m delighted with the outcome and impressed with the team’s efforts over the last few months. This project is further evidence of Root-Power’s ability to secure planning permission for renewables projects in the most challenging of environments.

“I would also like to thank the people and organisations we worked with along the way, including Tandridge Council and the Surrey Wildlife Trust. Their expertise and advice were second to none, and we’re glad we could work together to establish the best possible conditions for the site.”

We are looking forward to the Tillingdown Farm site joining our portfolio of battery energy storage projects when it goes live in 2025.”

The projects will bring Root-Power’s total number of submitted applications to 1GW

In August our in-house team submitted planning applications for a further 210MW of battery energy storage projects, enough to power over 380,000 homes. The five projects will be located in Reading, Manchester, Lancashire, Rotherham & Rochdale.

These planning applications help us in our mission to establish ourselves as one of the largest owner-operators of energy storage systems in the UK with capabilities to design, build and operate these assets in-house. Its portfolio now exceeds 2GW, with projects ranging from 10MW to 100MW.

Planning applications for the five proposed projects were submitted last month. The largest of the submitted proposals, in Lancashire, will be capable of exporting 60MW for a period of 2 hours once operational. The sites in Reading and Rochdale have an export capacity of 50MW and 30MW respectively, and the sites in Manchester and Rotherham can export 30MW and 40MW respectively. Root-Power’s approach focuses on strategic site finding, securing locations near to a point of connection on the grid network while also avoiding sites with high planning risk.

The Reading site in particular is placed extremely close to the point of connection and has been designed to align with the agricultural character of the surrounding landscape. The Rotherham site has been strategically positioned on a dormant strip of land between a major motorway and a B-class road, the placement of this site therefore mitigating planning risks such as landscape and noise issues.

Together these sites would see around 60% of biodiversity net gain produced, primarily on-site, with the site at Rotherham generating 40% Biodiversity Net Gain alone. In total, these projects will see over £1 million of economic investment into each of their respective Council areas.

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.”

In July 2024 we also appointed five different planning consultancies to process 40 BESS applications, with applications due to be submitted throughout the remainder of 2024.

Root-Power is today announcing an unprecedented collaboration with five planning consultancies to simultaneously progress 40 applications for Battery Energy Storage projects across the UK, totaling 2GW of energy storage. This monumental enterprise will position Root-Power as a frontrunner in the UK’s renewable energy space.

Launched this year with support from YLEM Group, Root-Power has partnered with Lanpro, PWA Planning, RCA Regeneration, ELG Planning, and Clive Fagg Planning to spearhead their ambitious energy storage initiatives. Each project, ranging from 11 MW to 100 MW with storage duration ranging from 2 hour to 4 hour, will play a crucial role in bolstering the UK’s energy infrastructure, with applications slated for submission throughout the remainder of 2024.

This unparalleled effort marks one of the most significant energy initiatives in the UK today, showcasing Root-Power’s rapid ascent to market leadership. A flagship project in Granborough, Buckinghamshire, is already progressing well, promising a substantial 100MW capacity and 200 MWh of power upon completion.

The consultancies were meticulously chosen for their exemplary records of planning success, each consultancy will tackle between 6 and 10 projects with all 40 projects progressing in parallel through the planning process throughout the remainder of 2024 and into early 2025.

This landmark announcement aligns with the UK government’s renewed emphasis on renewable energy and the launch of GB Energy, reinforcing the nation’s commitment to achieving net zero targets. Battery energy storage systems are set to be pivotal in driving these ambitious plans forward, securing the UK’s status as a global renewable energy powerhouse.

Neil Brooks, Managing Director at Root-Power, commented, “This is an extraordinarily exciting period for Root-Power. This new phase follows nearly 2 years of detailed project development, including site finding and origination, securing connection offers and negotiating with our partner landowners.

Processing 40 applications concurrently exemplifies the exceptional capabilities of our in-house team and their ability to manage complex planning processes at a scale unmatched in our industry. When added to our existing portfolio of battery energy storage under construction this 2GW pipeline will firmly establish Root-Power as a market leader for the years to come.

In addition to this major development, Root-Power recently welcomed Sodali & Co as their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) consultant on a multi-year retainer, further emphasizing their commitment to sustainability.