Approval for battery energy storage system in north Mayo

PLANNING approval has issued for a 80MW/160MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in north Mayo, capable of powering over 75,000 homes for up to two hours at a time.

The proposed Mullafarry battery storage project is to be located at an SSE-owned site in Tawnaghmore Upper, adjacent to the company’s existing 104MW Tawnaghmore Power Station at Killala Business Park.

This is the second major project for Killala granted permission by Mayo County Council in recent days, with a data centre proposal also getting the green light.

Planning for a battery storage facility at this site was granted in 2018, but that consent has expired and SSE Renewables' new application has an improved project design and increased battery capacity of between 26 and 38 battery storage units at the site.

Battery technology can store the increasing levels of renewable energy generated from sources like wind and solar when they are in surplus and then supply that power back to the grid when it is needed the most.

Previously the company highlighted how Mayo, and the north-west, has an enormous wind energy resource, and these critical projects can help ensure Mayo continues to play a key role in providing homegrown energy for Irish consumers while decarbonising the national power grid.

Construction on the project could commence in 2026.