The Scottish Government has approved the construction of a 200 MW battery storage facility. The project will be developed by OnPath Energy.

The proposals, submitted in early 2024, have already received the green light from the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit (ECU) and the project is expected to create around 80 local jobs during construction.

Once fully charged, the two-hectare site will have the capacity to meet the maximum electricity demands of approximately 240,000 homes for two hours or sustain the average energy needs of around 600,000 homes during the same period.

Pond Flexible Energy Park, which will be located at Pond Industrial Estate, near Bathgate, will help balance the grid and maximize the use of local renewable energy sources, thus contributing to reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels.

In May 2024, OnPath Energy submitted a planning application to the Scottish Energy Consents Unit for the site, which will be located at Pond Industrial Estate on Whitburn Road, southeast of Bathgate.
According to the company, the local community can expect to see real benefits as a result of OnPath’s commitment to prioritize local contractors wherever possible, and the community benefit proposal will see over £1 million available for community-led investments during the life of the project.

Michael Newton, Sustainability Developer at OnPath Energy, stated, “Battery storage sites like Pond will play a key role in achieving the net-zero emissions target… During construction, the project will create around 80 jobs, contributing over £1.6 million to local workers and greatly benefiting the local economy. Once operational, it will provide over £1,000,000 in community benefits throughout the life of the project.”