Introduction
Welcome to the Blackdyke Farm Energy Storage System ‘ESS’ project website. We are proposing a 400- megawatt (MW) ESS to be located on land on Blackdyke Farm, Rockcliffe, Carlisle.
The development site covers approximately 21 acres which includes 15.5 acres of landscape, planting and biodiversity net gain. The site is bordered by the Harker Moss Local Nature Reserve to the south, the Harker substation to the south east and the M6 to the west.
The proposal would support the UKs transition to net zero and increased use of renewable energy through supporting the availability of energy to the National Grid. Renewable energy is characterised by its intermittent generation profile. For example, solar energy is produced during daylight hours, and wind generation fluctuates between seasons and during windy/less windy periods. Energy storage developments like the one proposed at Blackdyke Farm provide a solution to this, by storing electricity from the grid at times of peak generation and releasing electricity back into the grid at times of peak demand. The proposal would provide a significant amount of energy storage capacity which is needed to balance the supply and demand for energy in the UK. It also facilitates the continued deployment of renewable energy onto the electricity network.
The site has been carefully selected and designed through a detailed assessment process considering heritage, landscape, ecological and environmental designations, access, flooding, transport and agricultural land quality. We have engaged a team of expert consultants to provide advice on the project.
Innova submitted a planning application to Cumberland Council (Carlisle area) in June 2023. The public access documents for the application can be viewed on the Councils website here with reference number 23/0444. Planning permission was granted on 5th October 2023.