People living in a South Cumbrian hamlet say their rural idyll would be ruined if plans for two battery storage systems get the go-ahead.
Two separate firms have lodged applications for the facilities in the area of Old Hutton, near Kendal.
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.
Harmony MS Ltd wants to create an 144-battery facility on land south of Eskrigg Road and Net Zero Nineteen wants to install around 100 battery units on land between Eskrigg End Road and Old Hutton.
Both would have an operational life of around 40 years.
People living nearby have objected to the scheme and one said: “The schemes will, if passed, trap the small hamlet of Eskrigg End in a nightmare of construction and ultimately leave us living in an industrial estate.”
Typically, each battery unit is around 3m tall and the facilities have infrastructure, including a control room and storage containers.
Harmony said the site it wanted to develop was around 10.9ha of undulating farmland, with a developable area of around 3.9ha.
It is around 0.5km north of Old Hutton and Middleshaw is around 800m west of the site.
Its facility would have a capacity of 200MW – typically capable of powering 500,000 homes for four hours when fully charged.
Harmony said the site would be ‘visually contained’ by proposed native woodland to the northern, eastern and southern boundaries and building it on lower ground, following existing contours of the land, would minimise visibility.
It has attracted seven objections so far. One objector said they felt the village had done their duty, as it already had a wind farm, solar farm and hydroelectric scheme.
Objectors were also concerned about noise of transformers on the site as well as fears over increased traffic.
Net Zero Nineteen wants to create its battery storage facility on land at Eskrigg End Road, which would provide up to 100MW of capacity.
There is an existing National Grid substation on the 9.56ha site, which is around 750m east of Middleshaw and 350m north of Old Hutton.
It said although the exact design had yet to be confirmed, the facility would be capable of powering up to 323,795 homes.
If it gets the go-ahead, it could be connected to the National Grid as early as 2027.
The separate planning applications were submitted to Westmorland & Furness Council in December and are currently under consideration by the authority.
