Westfield Energy Storage - Community Engagement Event
Welcome to the public consultation hub for the Westfield Energy Storage site to share information about the development proposals for a new Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at land to the east of Muckraw Farm, Westfield, West Lothian proposed by SMS Energy Services Ltd.
The aim is to introduce our proposals and allow for the opportunity to make comments about the proposal prior to the submission of an application to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit (ECU). Please note the information presented here may be subject to change as the project progresses and evolves.
Join us to discuss our proposal:
Westfield Primary School,
1 Park View, Bathgate, EH48 3PP
Thursday 20th March
From 4pm – 7pm
Who we are
SMS owns, installs, operates, and manages clean energy technology including smart meters, battery storage systems and other renewable generation assets across the UK. The company is today playing a critical role in decarbonising the UK energy system through its range of innovative solutions. Inspired by our core value of sustainability, we are committed to improving our impacts on the environment, our communities, and wider society around us through responsible operations and best practice corporate governance.
Our specialist team design, supply, install, operate, maintain, and optimise our BESS projects working alongside a wide range of industry partners and other stakeholders, including landowners and local community members.
- 860MW of BESS projects to be delivered by 2026
- 30 years experience delivering large-scale electrical infrastructure across the UK
- Approximately 300,000MWhr stored since November 2021
The map shows our sites throughout the UK that are consented, under construction or operational.
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)
Battery energy storage is an essential technology for overcoming the energy system’s biggest modern challenge: the transition to green energy. As renewables are intermittent, batteries connected to the National Grid are needed to store clean electricity whenever it is generated. In this way, green power can be supplied and consumed on demand by the UK population no matter what time of day it is, or what the weather is like.
In addition to helping phase out fossil fuels and reduce carbon emissions, batteries also play an increasingly vital role in stabilising, balancing, and protecting the grid, adding a much needed layer of flexibility as the UK moves to electrified transport and heating systems in coming years.
The Proposal
The Site is located within Westfield, north of Armadale. It is 10.3 hectares in total with the BESS being sited and installed on less than 2 hectares of this.
The remainder of the site will be used to deliver ecological and landscaping enhancements to ensure that the site sits well within the area.
The site itself has no planning history.
Draft Engineer Layout
Site Summary
Project Stages
We are now seeking views from the local community in order to shape our plans ahead of submission to the Energy Consents Unit.
Upon conclusion of the first consultation event, the responses provided will be used to inform the consideration of the site design and help to identify issues for the project team to address. This will then inform the design process of the development as further studies and assessments are undertaken.
A second consultation event will be arranged once the design of the site is further advanced to provide interested parties with additional information and detail regarding the specifics of the project and to demonstrate how matters raised have been considered and addressed.
An application for the development will subsequently be made to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit who will consult West Lothian Council’s Planning Service for their view of the development.
Contact Us
We welcome all feedback about our proposal described.
A second consultation event will be organised to provide a more detailed look at the project and an understanding of how comments raised in the initial consultation event have been considered and taken into account in refining the proposals.
Complete our questionnaire here
Comments made are not representations to the Scottish Ministers and if the applicant submits an application there will be an opportunity to make representations on that application to the Scottish Ministers.
Email: muckraw.planning@smsenergy.com
Write to us: Muckraw Development Team, Prennau House, Cardiff Gate Business Park, Copse Walk, Pontprennau, Cardiff, CF23 8XH