Statkraft to build Liverpool energy plant

The Norwegian renewables giant is to redevelop a one-acre site off Carnegie Road in the Old Swan area of Liverpool into an energy storage centre. 

The facility is intended to deliver back-up energy to the National Grid and help prevent potential shortages and blackouts – which can be a risk of using certain types of renewable energy. 

Renewable technologies, such as wind and solar power, can provide only “intermittent” energy as they are dependent on weather conditions, the scheme’s planning consultant Arcus explained in application documents. 

Plans for the project have now been approved by Liverpool City Council and construction of the facility is expected to take 13 months. 

The site sits next to an electricity substation on Lister Drive, allowing for easy connection to the National Grid. 

A 10,000 sq ft warehouse occupies the eastern part of the site but will be demolished under the plans to make way for an 8,600 sq ft building to house the facility’s energy management system. 

The remainder of the site will be given over to various infrastructure, including six battery units where the energy will be stored. 

The site is currently rented for use as a car boot sale and container storage. The tenant submitted an objection to the scheme, which expressed concerns over the lack of time the company would have to relocate. 

The objection, accompanied by a petition signed by 200 people, added that the project was not in the best interests of the community and could trigger a rise in crime in the area. However, the city council overruled the concerns and granted the scheme consent. 

Statkraft provides renewable energy in the form of hydroelectric, wind and solar power. The company owns and operates 11 wind farms in the British Isles and Scandinavia. 

It is estimated that the UK will require approximately £100bn of investment in electricity infrastructure over the next decade, to accommodate projected future increases in electricity demand, replace ageing power stations and prevent electricity blackouts, according to Arcus.