Energy storage facility approved for Tullamore

Planning permission has been granted for an energy storage facility in Tullamore.

Grid System Services Ltd applied to Offaly County Council for planning permission for a grid system services facility on a 0.84 hectare site, at Derrynagall or Ballydaly, Tullamore. 

The plans include a single storey electrical substation building, a customer switchgear container, 17 two megawatt electrical inverter/transformer station modules (skids), 10 containerised battery storage modules on concrete support structures and 40 heating, ventilation and air conditioning units.

It also includes security gates and perimeter security fencing and a CCTV security monitoring system. The battery storage modules provide fast frequency services to the grid. If there is a demand for electricity on the grid during peak periods, the batteries – which are charged up during off-peak periods – are utilised.

The electricity generated will be used in the immediate geographic area.

There is one pilot project of this nature in the west of Ireland at the moment and others are expected to follow.

“It's a move away from the traditional approach,” said an expert in this area. “Batteries can respond in less than a second.”

The next step in the process will be an application to Eirgrid to get a contract to supply the services to Eirgrid and there is expected to be a tendering process.