Written question WQ83796
- Asked by
- Janet Finch-SaundersConservative
- To be answered by
- Minister for Climate Change
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 7 days
Question
What steps is the Welsh Government taking to enable the creation of a large-scale battery storage facility in North Wales given that the region consumes 23 per cent of the total energy consumed in Wales?
Answer
Answered by Minister for Climate Change
The Welsh Government has supported the development of four regional energy strategies which identify the priorities for energy across Wales, recognising not only the energy consumed now but also how that will change in the future. The associated regional delivery plans will identify the developments that best meet future needs. The North Wales strategy is published here: https://gov.wales/regional-energy-strategy-north-wales
The Welsh Government brought into force legislation in April 2019 which removes barriers for planning applications for battery storage to enable such developments to be decided at the local level.
While battery storage could have a role, other options for long duration storage such as hydrogen and pumped hydro, and the role of nuclear power in grid stability, are also being investigated.
System balancing of the electricity network in North Wales is the responsibility of Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN). SPEN has been offering contracts for flexibility services, and they are best placed to identify the specific requirements in the region.