The managing director of renewable energy firm Strategic Power Projects has warned national energy projects should not be curtailed because of concerns from small number of people.
Paul Carson has confirmed his company currently has renewable energy projects, made up of solar farms and battery storage energy schemes, that have been granted planning permission with a combined value of as much as €750 million.
The firm’s pipeline of projects includes the €140 million 212MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at Dunnstown near Two Mile House in rural Co Kildare that was granted planning permission last October by An Bord Pleanála.
The appeals board granted planning permission despite local opposition that included an objection from a stud farm owned by US billionaire, John Malone. A question mark now lies over the planning permission with a third party, Two Mile House Says No, seeking a High Court judicial review of the An Bord Pleanála permission.
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In an interview, Mr Carson said: “These are projects of national significance, they need to be developed and the concerns of a few should not stop national projects from happening.”
Mr Carson said that battery energy storage “is not the sole solution but is a big part of the solution addressing the country’s security of supply”.
“The whole basis for battery storage is to enable more renewable energy on the grid. When the wind is blowing during the night and everyone is in bed and the factories are closed, where does that power go as there is a tremendous amount of energy from wind farms wasted during the night for the last number of years,” he said.
“Battery storage can soak up that energy during the night and release it when needed at peak time in morning and evening.”
Mr Carson said that “there is probably a need for another 20 Dunnstowns to ensure that the grid is well covered”.
Still, he added, the lack of resources for the likes of An Bord Pleanála “is keeping the industry back.”
