Plans for a battery storage facility in Aspatria could get the go-ahead next week.
Members of Cumberland Council’s planning committee are due to meet at the Civic Centre in Carlisle on Wednesday and will discuss the proposal.
Net Zero Seventeen wants to build the facility on agricultural land at West Farm in West Street, off the A596, and, if approved by planners at Cumberland Council, it could power almost 162,000 homes for two hours.
It would be operational for 40 years.
If Cumberland Council gives it the go-ahead, the 7.4 hectare site would be home to 56 units – each 7.8m long, 1.7m wide and 2.8m tall.
A battery storage compound consists of batteries that can store energy and are able to release or absorb energy from the power network.
They would help balance out demand on the National Grid.
When there is not enough power, during periods of high demand, batteries are discharged to balance under frequency preventing black and brown outs. To balance over frequency batteries are charged to store electricity which is not required at the time of generation.
Council officers have recommended that permission should be granted, subject to a number of conditions.
According to a heritage assessment, there is uncertain potential for archaeological remains of prehistoric date to be present within the site given the possibility of an enclosure/castle being either prehistoric or medieval.
It added: “Any archaeological remains of prehistoric date have the potential to be of regional significance.
“There is an uncertain potential for archaeological remains of Romano-British date to be identified within the site given the confusion over the alignment of the Roman road.
“The results of the geophysical survey have not indicated the presence of the Roman road within the site. Should any archaeological remains of this date be identified within the site they have the potential to be of regional significance.
“There is low potential for archaeological remains of early medieval date to be present within the site. There is an uncertain potential for archaeological remains of medieval date to be present within the site as the presence of a possible castle has not been definitively proven.
“Should the presence of a castle be confirmed it has the potential to be of regional or possibly even national significance. The geophysical survey has confirmed the presence of an enclosure at this location but it has not been possible to confidently assign a period to this feature.
“It is anticipated that a programme of further archaeological investigations will be required to better define the presence and survival of archaeological remains within the site.”
