Battery storage tendering ‘not yet concluded’ despite Statkraft pulling planning application

SSEN says the tendering process for a battery storage system in Lerwick is still ongoing despite one of the bidders withdrawing its planning application.

Stratkraft has withdrawn its planning application for a ‘Greener Grid Park’ on land behind the Ocean Kinetics building in town.

It was one of two companies bidding for the contract, with Zenobe also in the running.

The battery storage system would be used if the forthcoming subsea transmission link between Shetland and the Scottish mainland had an outage and Lerwick Power Station needed time to move out of standby mode.

This week Statkraft confirmed it was withdrawing its planning application and added that it was not looking to resubmit another for the site.

But a spokesperson for SSEN said the tender process for the battery storage solution has not yet concluded.

“We anticipate the process will be completed later this summer, and full details of the contractor will be announced at that point,” they added.

A spokesperson for Statkraft confirmed the planning application was withdrawn but said they could not comment further about the project.

SSEN is looking for a supplier to provide standby equipment for a period of ten years from November 2024.

Norwegian state-owned energy giant Statkraft is the company behind three wind farm developments in Shetland – Energy Isles, Mossy Hill and Beaw Field.

It has also registered interested in a ‘greener grid park’ at Scatsta.

At the end of last month, Stakraft and partners were made the preferred bidder to develop the former Scatsta Airport site for future energy production.