Public Consultation Opens for Proposed Swansea Battery Storage Scheme
EDF Renewables UK is seeking views on a proposed Swansea North battery storage facility.
The plans are for a 250 MW battery energy storage scheme (BESS), adjacent to the existing Swansea North substation near Morriston and Felindre.
Environmental and technical assessments are already being carried out and local community views are being sought to gather feedback before submitting a planning application to Swansea Council.
The public consultation starts from 14th May where the plans will be available for review on www.edf-re.uk/our-sites/swansea-north. The project team will also be at Felindre Community Hall on 5th and 6th June to meet people and answer their questions.
Amy Ravitz-Williams, Project Development Manager at EDF Renewables UK, said:
'As more of our lives are powered by electricity – from heating our homes to our cars to using AI – our energy system is changing. Batteries help to future-proof the grid and cost-effectively integrate more renewable power leading to greater energy security.'
The company said that battery storage is essential in the transition towards reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, stabilising the grid and ensuring our energy security. It can respond quickly to network changes and provides the flexibility required by National Grid to manage the intermittent nature of supply from renewable sources such as wind and solar, supporting a resilient network.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fashion United
2 hours ago
- Fashion United
Gordon Brothers snaps up Poundland, to inject 80 million pounds into turnaround
Restructuring and investment firm Gordon Brothers has emerged as the buyer of Poundland. As a result, the British budget retailer will receive an 80 million pound financing boost to back a 'Proposed Restructuring', agreed on by all three parties, including former owner Pepco Group. Details on this plan are expected to be shared by Poundland in 'due course'. In a press release, Gordon Brothers said the financing would be used to support Poundland's 'go-forward strategy', currently led by managing director Barry Williams. In a statement, Williams welcomed Gordron Brothers as Poundland focuses on returning the business to 'its core heritage category strengths'. He continued: 'We look forward to working with our supplier base to ensure we continue providing exceptional value to budget-conscious consumers in the UK." Williams, who returned to the MD role earlier this year, will continue to lead the business under its new ownership. Pepco is anticipated to obtain a minority investment interest in Poundland, subject to the proposed restructuring of the retailer, which has been sanctioned by the High Court in England. Gordon Brothers will, in its place, obtain the ownership of all Poundland stores, its 16,000 colleagues, assets and liabilities. Court-sanctioned proposed restructuring to take effect In a separate press release, Pepco, which also owns European discount chain Dealz, said the sale reflected its own 'strategy to simplify the group's structure and drive shareholder value', as the retailer had been weighing on its financials over the past year. Pepco said the transaction will improve group revenue growth, profitability and margins. In the latest financial year, Poundland had contributed 33 percent to Pepco's revenues, yet just 5 percent of its EBITDA. The shares in Poundland have been sold to Golden Brothers for 'nominal consideration', while Pepco's secured loan of 30 million pounds and other unsecured loans remain in place between the company and Poundland. An overdraft of up to 30 million pounds is to further be put in place between the two counterparts upon completion of a proposed restructuring, supporting the transaction. Gordon Brothers has been involved in the turnaround or restructuring of a number of fashion brands, including Laura Ashley, Orsay and Bench. The firm provides both short- and long-term capital to those undergoing transformation, while further providing expertise to management teams leading such strategies. At Poundland, which currently operates around 800 stores in the UK, business had remained challenging into the first quarter of the current financial year, according to Pepco CEO, Stephan Borchert. As such, the group lowered its EBITDA forecast for the chain from 50 to 70 million euros to around 0 to 20 million euros. Pepco cited difficult trading conditions that were further exacerbated by the sales of old stock and product availability issues as core causes.
Wales Online
a day ago
- Wales Online
Dylan Thomas-inspired sculpture to be removed from city square ahead of multi-million pound revamp
Dylan Thomas-inspired sculpture to be removed from city square ahead of multi-million pound revamp A new home will be found in due course for the artwork An image of how the new-look Castle Square Gardens will look (Image: Swansea Council ) A sculpture in Swansea's Castle Square will be removed in the coming days ahead of a long-awaited scheme to transform the area into a greener and more welcoming space. Swansea Council, which is behind the multi-million pound project, said the Leaf Boat sculpture would be put into storage while it, in liaison with others including the sculptor, decided on a future location in Swansea for the artwork. High voltage cables have been re-laid at the square and the main work will follow, resulting in two pavilion buildings for food, drink or retail businesses - one with a green roof - new lawns and other greenery, and seating areas. There'll also be a new interactive water feature and a large TV screen above a bandstand-style structure. The council said there had been a lot of public engagement about the project, which first received planning consent in 2023 and is now expected to be completed towards the end of 2026. All businesses in the area, it said, will be trading as normal in the meantime. Never miss a Swansea story by signing up to our newsletter here Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, cabinet member for investment, regeneration, events and tourism, said: 'It's great to see work moving ahead at this pivotal location; our new-look Castle Square Gardens will be a fantastic place to meet, spend quality time and enjoy public events and gatherings." Castle Square looking towards the castle, pictured in 2023 (Image: Riochard Youle ) Antonio Facciuto, the owner of The Cwtch bar and cafe on nearby Caer Street, said he hoped to benefit from contractors popping in for food but that he was also keen the project didn't overrun. "More greenery sounds great, and it'll certainly spruce up the town centre," he said. "It's a step in the right direction." Article continues below The council is also creating a central hub called Y Storfa beyond one corner of Castle Square which will accommodate the central library and other services. Meanwhile the former Castle Cinema, set above the square off Castle Bailey Street, is being turned into flats and two commercial units - including potentially a restaurant in a glazed side extension - by housing association Beacon Cymru and development partner EasyLiving Ltd. The Leaf Boat sculpture (Image: Swansea Council ) The Leaf Boat sculpture in Castle Square was created by artist Amber Hiscott, inspired by lines of Dylan Thomas's poetry and the way light reflects off Swansea Bay. The council said Cwmdonkin Park was one of a number of locations under consideration for a new permanent home. More than 230 people and groups responded to a survey about the Castle Square proposals four years ago, with a large majority backing the re-greening concept. There was also support for small cafes and restaurants. One person described the square as a "concrete cave", while another respondent said: "I really like this idea. Most European cities in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany have squares like these." The cost of the project is yet to be finalised. Budget papers from March this year show the council is allocating £9.8 million towards it. Article continues below
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Revised Lincolnshire pylon plans announced
Revised plans for electricity pylons in Lincolnshire have been announced. National Grid has updated its proposals for an 87 mile (140km) line of pylons between Grimsby and Walpole in Norfolk. The initial plans, which are part of The Great Grid Upgrade, faced opposition from councillors and residents due to concerns over their impact on the landscape.A public consultation into the new proposals, which include low-height pylons on a section of the route, will run from 11 June to 6 August. In January 2024, National Grid announced plans to install 420 pylons from Grimsby, through the Lincolnshire countryside, to is one of two overhead line projects being proposed in Lincolnshire, the other one running from Weston Marsh to East Leicestershire.A National Grid spokesperson said the projects would "help connect more home-grown British energy, boosting local economies, creating jobs, and providing cleaner, more affordable energy".The spokesperson said the pylons between Grimsby and Walpole were needed because the existing network does not have the capacity to carry the energy being generated. Updated proposals Following an initial consultation, the company has revised the plans to include low-height pylons on a 4.3 mile (7km) section of the route to reduce the impact on the Lincolnshire this section, the height of the pylons will be reduced from 50m (164ft) to 40m (131ft).The proposed route has been changed to avoid wind turbines, a solar farm, Boston Aerodrome, and Strubby new route also aims to reduce the potential impact on users of The Thomas Centre, a holiday park for users with special educational needs and disabilities, and avoid close proximity to residential Muncey, project director for Grimsby to Walpole, said: "As our demand for electricity grows, this project will connect our homes, businesses and public services to sources of home-grown British energy which will lower our electricity bills in the long-term and make us more energy independent."The feedback was critical to refining the proposed route and we look forward to engaging the community around the updated plans." The Weston Marsh to East Leicestershire project involves overhead power lines from a proposed substation at Weston Marsh, near Spalding, to a connection point 37 miles (60km) away in eastern consultation, two substations, instead of one, are now being proposed and the new pylon route will be 37 miles (60 km) long and use 50m eight-week consultations, where people can share their views on the projects, will run alongside each other until Wednesday 6 August. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
