SALISBURY MP John Glen has praised the role of battery storage as the UK moves towards net zero during a tour of a site near the old Quidhampton Quarry.

Mr Glen, the paymaster general, was given an insight into the technology after being welcomed to a nearly-completed battery storage site by SSE Renewables.

The firm is developing a 50MW storage site, which will start providing flexible power to the National Grid from February next year.

Battery storage holds and releases energy when most needed.

“Tackling climate change is the biggest challenge of our age,” Mr Glen said. “This government wants to decarbonise the UK power system by 2035 and battery storage is seen as a key enabler of that transition to net zero because of its flexibility.

“I enjoyed seeing first-hand how battery storage will work in my own constituency, and I commend SSE for their ongoing investment in low carbon technology.”

Richard Cave-Bigley, SSE Renewables director of solar and battery, said: “We were delighted to welcome John Glen MP to our first battery site at Salisbury ahead of the project going fully live in February 2024.

“The flexibility of battery storage means we can help National Grid manage peak times of demand and back up renewable sources of energy such as wind.

“SSE Renewables is investing £4m a day on average to 2027 in low carbon technologies that will enable net zero.”

Batteries work by storing energy when output from natural sources such as wind is high and releasing it when wind output is low but demand for energy is high.

The systems are fast responding and will play an increasingly important role in our energy mix as more carbon-based generation is phased out and further replaced by more renewables, SSE said.

The company is currently developing three battery storage projects in the UK, with a 320MW battery project in Monk Fryston, North Yorkshire, and a 150MW battery project in Ferrybridge, West Yorkshire, alongside the Salisbury scheme.