Larne: community feedback helps to shape final design for proposed grid-boosting battery energy storage system
Community feedback has helped to shape plans for a grid-boosting renewable energy project outside Larne.
RES has submitted a planning application to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for its Ballyross Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) proposal, located approximately 2km southwest of Gleno and 8.5km southwest of Larne.
The site, the Larne-based company explained, has been chosen for its proximity to the Ballyvallagh substation, which not only maximises the efficiency of the system, but reduces the need for additional infrastructure to connect the BESS to the electricity grid network.
There would also be limited potential visibility of the project, if consented and built, due to the local terrain and existing mature hedgerow and woodland planting.
Peter Deeney, development project manager for RES, said “We held two consultation events for Ballyross to present and seek views on the proposal prior to submitting our planning application.
"We’d like to thank the local community for coming along to the events to learn more about the project and particularly for the many constructive conversations we had with the visitors.
“The feedback we got from local people really helped to shape the final design for the project, such as the preferred transport route during the construction phase and additional landscaping measures to further reduce potential views of the project from the closest residential properties.”
The Ballyross application is supported by a detailed landscaping plan which includes new native-species hedgerow and woodland planting that would supplement the existing planting to further reduce potential visibility of the BESS.
In addition, the landscaping proposal will provide wildlife corridors and vital resources for a range of wildlife, including plans for seeding areas using a specific wildflower seed mixture to attract the pollinators crucial to a healthy eco-system.
Projects like Ballyross BESS, the company added, help to balance the electricity system at a lower cost by maximising the output of variable generation.
The proposal is expected to be determined by the council’s Planning Committee in the summer of 2026 and, if consented, is estimated to take approximately 20 months to build, following a successful grid connection application.
An industry innovator for over 40 years, RES has delivered more than 28GW of renewable energy projects across the globe and plans to bring more than 26GW of new capacity online in the next five years.