Power plant plans for site near canal in Bilston
Plans to build a new energy storage unit and natural gas and electricity plant next to a canal have been submitted.
The application, made by Suncredit Power Balancing, is for a natural gas-fuelled standby electricity generation plant and battery storage on land next to the Birmingham Canal near Anchor Lane in Bilston. The facility will be known as the Anchor Lane Energy Centre.
Six previous applications were submitted to Wolverhampton Council in 2017 which separated out the site into three areas. Each application proposed the siting of a small-scale plant on one of these areas. The first three were withdrawn in March 2018 and the three subsequent others are now being withdrawn following the latest submission.
A statement from WYG Planning and Transport – the agents acting for the applicants – said: “The proposal is for a single application which combines the previous three planning applications into one site. It will still provide three individual 8 MW 11 kV connections, which can be operated independently of one another, providing greater flexibility to meet demand.
“In bringing the generators closer together, it seeks to address previous comments raised by consultees and allow for coal mine exclusion zones. The application proposes the creation of a secure compound enclosed by timber fencing to contain the generators and battery storage containers. These will go alongside a cabin, switch rooms, storage container, waste oil and clean oil containers and a gas kiosk.
“National Grid operates the United Kingdom’s network of high-voltage interconnecting cables, which together form the country’s transmission grid, linking the regional distribution network operators (DNOs) whose networks transmit electricity to end users. Standby power plants such as this proposed facility act as an insurance against sudden losses in generation, imbalances in system frequency or unforeseen increases in demand.
“There is no public access to the site. However, public access is available along Anchor Lane, across Anchor Bridge which connects with the Birmingham Canal towpath. The closest permanent residential property is 150 metres away and is separated from the site by the existing industrial development,” added the report.
“The site is adjacent to the Bilston Corridor Canal Conservation Area. Within this area principal features include the Victorian era road bridge and lock chamber at Anchor Bridge, the long straight sections of canals with channelled views and the surviving canal basin at Biddings Lane.”
Wolverhampton Council planners will make a decision on the application in the near future.
