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Under these proposals, 27 acres of land will be dedicated to habitat and landscaping improvements.

This will take the form of the reinstatement of former woodland blocks and the creation of species-rich grassland, delivering an 800.5 % uplift in habitat units and an 89.26 % increase in hedgerow units within the Chilterns National Landscape, all open to the public.

A one-off payment of £500,000 will be made to the Chilterns Conservation Board. This will fund off-site landscape improvements and local community engagement and will be payable on energisation of the facility.

Grid-Scale Storage Capacity:

In total, the BESS will provide 400 megawatts of energy storage capacity. Annual energy delivery will reach up to 292 gigawatts/year enough for the average consumption of approximately 83,000 homes.

A single 400 megawatts release of stored power can power a peak demand of approximately 133,000 homes for one hour.

Another key benefit of this scheme is that it will bring forward significant CO2 savings by displacing fossil fuel generation, equivalent to roughly 100,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

Meeting Future Demand:

There is a pressing need for energy storage capacity with significant energy demand in the Chilterns area. Avalon Data Centre, located approximately 11km north-west of the site, has been given full planning consent by the local authority. The energy demand equates to that of 35,000 homes.

Furthermore, the rapid uptake of electric vehicles, heat pumps and other net-zero measures, means that local demand is forecast to double over the next 5–10 years.

The substation located in Amersham would face intermittent fluctuations in energy generation without a BESS located nearby to smooth over these spikes and ensure reliable supply to Avalon and surrounding communities.

Economic & Community Investment:

Business rate revenue will be provided to the council.

Delivering local employment with up to 20 full-time jobs during construction and 4–6 full-time post-commissioning, supporting the rural economy.

System-Wide Benefits:

Helping the UK’s Clean Power 2030 target of between 23-27 gigawatts of batteries by the decade’s end.

Ensuring the government reaches its legally binding Net Zero target by 2050.

Technical & Operational Advantages:

The battery energy storage units will be connected to the Amersham substation by a less than 1km cable to minimise capital expenditure and electricity losses.

Established farm access to the site removes the need for the construction of new roads. There will also be no loss of agricultural land.

The battery units will be discreetly located behind existing farm buildings, with extensive screening and landscaping to eliminate visual or noise intrusion for neighbours.

The proposed development will have no adverse impacts on heritage, hydrology, contamination, or ecology.

After 40 years the 6-acre battery site will be turned into a landscaped area for public use.