Solar farm and energy storage system proposed for site near Glamis

The Section 36 consent application to the Energy Consents Unit for the facility at Cossans is one of two submitted by Perthshire-based BLC Energy, working with TRIO Power. The other is for a similar facility near Cupar in Fife.

The BESS units will store surplus solar generation during periods of high output and dispatch it when demand peaks or the sun sets, helping National Grid maintain frequency and voltage stability and reducing reliance on peaking gas plants.

If the projects are given the go-ahead, they will materially advance the Scottish and UK governments’ ambitions for a fully decarbonised electricity system by 2035.

Neil Lindsay, managing director, said: “We’ve now submitted 200MW of projects into the Scottish planning system, with another 200MW planned before the end of the year.

“Our relationships with landowners, commitment to meaningful community consultation and expertise in the technology mean we have an excellent pipeline of projects.

“For the Cossans project, we are aiming for a pre-2030 connection, which will be decided through the ongoing grid reform process.

“Between them, they have the potential to generate enough energy to power the equivalent of 29,000 homes each year. If Scotland and the UK are to meet their renewable energy targets, we need more of these real-scale developments.”

Each of the developments comes with an associated benefit fund of £500 per MW for the lifetime of the project, making around £1.3m available to local communities over 40 years.

Lindsay said: “We believe the communities around these sites should decide how the money is best spent. For some, that might be a trust that provides money towards winter fuel bills or retrofitting energy-saving measures in homes. For others, it might be funding apprenticeships or investing in community facilities.”

Both projects are owned by TRIO Power Limited. TRIO Power is owned and funded by the Octopus Renewable Infrastructure Trust (ORIT), a fund managed by Octopus Energy Generation (OEGEN).