The battery storage site is located to the south of Capenhurst Lane and will feed directly into Capenhurst substation. Approximately 50% of the site is designated for ecological enhancements offering an uplift in biodiversity of 46%, above the existing baseline. The battery storage system will play a pivotal role between green energy supplies and responding to energy demand, ensuring efficient balancing of the grid.

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George Wilyman, Head of Planning at Aura Power said “We thank the Planning Committee Members and Officers at Cheshire West and Chester Council for working with us proactively in the determination of this application. Battery storage systems are a fundamental component in our electricity network and are critical  to speed up the replacement of fossil fuels to facilitate the decarbonisation of the electricity grid. Cheshire West and Chester and the surrounding authorities are already home to a number of innovative low carbon projects and it is great to add this project to the North West, helping the region lead the way to a low carbon future”. 

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Aura celebrated 10 years in the business this year and had their most successful yet. Other highlights across the company include: 

➡ Signing their first BESS agreement in the US 

➡ Passing the GW mark of solar capacity in development in Canada

➡ Launched their first Graduate Programme

➡ Gained planning permission for three projects in the UK

➡ Started construction on their Casal de Cortica solar site in Portugal

➡ Introduced Management Training and well-being sessions for the company 

➡ Gained their first permit in Lithuania for their 375MWp solar project in Ignalina

➡ Grew their team by nearly 20 new members

➡ Expanded into Germany, marking their 8th country of operation!

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Simon Coulson, CEO and Co-founder said “It’s been a really positive year for us and we continue to be encouraged by the direction of travel for renewables globally. Solar and battery storage prices have fallen by almost 90% over the past decade with solar electricity now the cheapest form of electricity production. The recent pledge from more than 100 countries at COP28 to triple the World’s renewable energy capacity is hugely significant and we are excited about the positive impact our projects can have on the world”. 

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Aura continues to work on a global solar and battery storage development pipeline in excess of 20GW with multiple projects starting construction and nearing commissioning.