RPC and Greenfield win permits for 82-MW UK batteries projects

• Renewable Power Capital and partner Greenfield secured planning permission for 82 MW of battery storage in Britain, bolstering flexibility for solar-heavy grids.

Renewable Power Capital (RPC) and its partner Greenfield have secured planning consent for a combined 82 MW of battery energy storage capacity in the UK, adding another tranche of flexible infrastructure to a power system increasingly shaped by solar and wind. The projects, permitted at multiple sites, will store surplus generation in low-demand hours and release it into the evening peak—while standing ready to deliver rapid frequency response when the grid calls.

The approvals reflect how Britain’s planning landscape is evolving. Councils and network operators are more familiar with the footprint of modern BESS sites—compact containers, acoustic fencing, thermal-management systems—and with the conditions needed to earn a green light: robust fire-safety design, landscaping and biodiversity plans, traffic management during construction, and clearly defined grid-support services. Co-location potential is a plus; many storage nodes are sited near existing substations, sharing infrastructure with present or future solar and wind plants.

From an engineering standpoint, expect grid-forming inverter capabilities and SCADA tuned for fast operator signals. Multi-hour duration batteries can arbitrage day-ahead prices and capture value in capacity and ancillary markets, hedging revenue beyond energy alone. Dispersing projects across several nodes also spreads network risk and offers earlier partial energisation as each site completes.

For RPC, backed by long-term capital, storage is both a strategic complement to its renewables portfolio and a standalone investment thesis as the UK’s capacity market and balancing services mature. For consumers, more storage near load centers should translate into fewer price spikes on still, cloudy evenings and better use of the low-cost solar that floods the system at midday in summer.

Next steps are familiar: finalize grid connection agreements, reserve transformers and switchgear—the enduring long-lead bottlenecks—and lock EPC schedules. With permits secured, the 82-MW bundle moves from paper to procurement, putting flexible megawatts on a faster track to Britain’s distribution networks.