Frequently Asked Questions

Island Green Power is developing proposals for a new energy storage project on land to the south of the A83 near Whitehouse, Tarbert. We will also be seeking consent for SSEN’s proposed substation on the site.

The total site boundary covers approximately 30 hectares, although the BESS facility will only take up to 4.5 hectares of this area. The remaining area is intended to include the proposed SSEN substation, the proposed cable routing, and open areas including new landscape planting and biodiversity enhancement.

The red line boundary marked simply shows the full extent of the options available rather than the footprint of the site. We are currently assessing multiple cable route options to ensure the best route to access the substation, however only one cable route option will be chosen for the application.

Battery energy storage systems are housed in specialised units used to optimise efficiency, performance and longevity.

The batteries that will be used in the project are not reliant on scarce raw materials. There are established recycling processes for recovering the most common elements used in battery construction - cobalt, nickel, lithium and manganese - for re-use.

Once the BESS facility is operational, it will maintain a minimal presence, primarily necessitating occasional visits for operations and maintenance. The only period that might potentially affect traffic is during the temporary construction phase. An indicative 24-month period is required for construction. The likely increase in traffic generated by construction of the Proposed Development, based upon experience of similar projects, is estimated at 120 vehicle movements per day.

Large-scale battery installation in the UK must comply with health and safety regulations, both for installation and operation. They typically use Lithium-Ion Batteries, which are the same type of batteries as are used safely in mobile phones, laptops and electric vehicles every day all over the world.

Island Green is headquartered in London, operates in the UK and internationally. The company is 50% owned by Macquarie through a fund specifically set up for renewable energy projects, and the remaining 50% is privately owned by shareholders. Details about the founders and our board of directors are published on this website – https://www.islandgp.com/our-people.

Our UK business currently employs 50 people, along with a large number of specialist consultants and contractors, in areas such as engineering and the environment.

The BESS is a temporary development and will not change the land classification. When the BESS has been decommissioned, the consent will require the land to be restored to its previous purpose as agricultural land.

Temporary development consent ensures that the land will not be classed as ‘brownfield’ after decommissioning.

We will be conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project which will provide an assessment of the potential effects the Proposed Development may have on a range of environmental and technical issues. Further details may be found on our Opportunities and Constraints board. We will also be providing an update on the findings of our assessments at the next consultation event.