Galileo Empower announced that the Council's Development Management Committee has unanimously approved the planning application for a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in West Lothian, Scotland.

The project marks the renewable energy company’s first consented development in Scotland. The battery storage facility, with a capacity of 49.9 MW, will be located at Middlerigg Farm, between Bathgate and Armadale, on land adjacent to the A801, northwest of the Bathgate substation.

BESS is an advanced technology that supports the transition away from polluting fossil fuels toward clean, green, and renewable electricity, which is intermittent by nature.

The facility will store excess electricity in rechargeable batteries when demand is low and release it back into the grid when demand is high. This will help balance the grid and maximize the use of renewable energy, supporting the fight against climate change and the path to net zero. By enhancing energy security and reducing reliance on volatile, imported fossil fuels, it will further benefit consumers by enabling a more affordable, low-carbon, locally generated electricity supply.

Galileo Empower has committed to ensuring that local communities benefit from the positive economic and social value this project can deliver. A community benefit fund is expected to focus on two key priorities: health and physical activity, as well as training and education. The company has also committed to using local suppliers and contractors wherever reasonably possible throughout the construction and operation of the battery storage facility.

Laura Petrie, Project Director, said that thet are "delighted to have received unanimous approval for a battery storage facility at Middlerigg – our first consented project in Scotland – following extensive engagement with local communities. Infrastructure like this plays a key role in the shift from polluting fossil fuels to clean, green, renewable energy, supporting the fight against climate change and helping Scotland reach its net-zero targets. We believe this project will deliver significant environmental and economic benefits to West Lothian. Alongside a community benefit fund, the development will also bring substantial investment, creating jobs and enhancing the skills of our current and future workforce."