Harmony Energy Storage has appointed planning consultancy PWA Planning as it looks to create a portfolio of energy storage facilities across the UK over the next 12-months.
PWA Planning has been brought on board to advise on all planning matters for Harmony’s first 10 schemes, including site viability, pre-application advice and planning applications.
Yorkshire-based Harmony Energy Storage was established in 2016 by directors Peter Kavanagh and Alex Thornton, who between them have almost 20 years’ experience in the renewables sector.
The business is seeking to develop and operate a large portfolio of utility-scale battery energy storage systems across the UK to provide a range of grid balancing services to National Grid.
Louise Leyland, planner at PWA Planning, said: “With the paring back of subsidies for wind and solar, and the need to better control supply and demand of power to the grid, we’re seeing a big shift in focus towards energy storage.
“Energy storage facilities provide landowners with a great opportunity to diversify and enhance land values. However, the facilities also need to be in areas with good access to National Grid power lines and substations, which can bring them into close contact with neighbourhoods and green belt land.
“Therefore, robust energy storage planning advice is required. We’re pleased to have been appointed by Harmony to handle planning for these first 10 schemes.”
Peter Kavanagh, director of Harmony Energy Storage, said: “In response to the ongoing closure of thermal generation plants, National Grid procures a range of Frequency Response services. Demand for these services is growing as the share of renewable generators across the network increases.
“Harmony Energy Storage wants to support renewable generation and the National Grid through battery energy storage systems which offer the lowest environmental impact, producing zero emissions. We look forward to working with PWA Planning to get these systems up and running.”
PWA Planning offers a number of specialist planning services to the energy and renewables sector, including development potential assessment, environmental impact assessment, planning strategies, pre-application advice, planning applications and planning appeal advice.
