The project

Helping to resolve the UK’s energy crisis and accelerating the transition to Net Zero through a new renewable energy development in Heanor, West Midlands.

Downing is developing a new 40MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project in Heanor, a town located in Derbyshire.

Heanor BESS will produce enough renewable energy to power up to 120,000 homes for a two-hour period. The project will make a direct contribution to the UK’s Net Zero goals. Transitioning to a renewable energy generation system should mean cheaper energy bills for the U.K. consumer, and solar power is one of the cheapest sources of renewable energy.

A campaign of further ecological, environmental and heritage surveys will help shape the initial design. The project expands over 0.28 hectares (Ha) and will have an operational lifespan of 40 year. Afterwards it will be decommissioned, and the land will be returned to its natural state.

Project timeline

Creating a sustainable future

We have a long-term vision for Heanor BESS which helps to address the UK’s energy crisis, provides a substantial biodiversity net gain, and supports farmers, local agriculture, and the local community.

Forming a strong relationship with the community that we serve is important to us and we are continually exploring ways we can better support local initiatives. We value your feedback and try to reflect it in the way the project is designed, like the inclusion of permissive pathways and the retention and creation of wildlife habitats. If you do have any thoughts on how we can improve our proposals, please do get in touch here.

Our commitment

We carefully evaluate the impact our developments will have on local habitats, plants, and animals to develop a long-term plan. For Heanor BESS that delivers 16% biodiversity than before the site is installed.

We install Bee Hotels that provide one of the most recognisable ecosystem services, pollination, which is what makes food production possible. Log piles are another way we support a wide range of wildlife, including moss, fungi, insects, and small mammals.

Planting wildflowers to provide bees, butterflies, and other pollinators with food sources. Installing bird and bat boxes and encouraging sheep to help graze the land are other ways we promote positive biodiversity.

Community engagement is the most important aspect of our projects. By communicating and working with local communities throughout the whole development process.

Community benefits

Downing is committed to making a positive contribution in your local community:

No maintenance cost

All installations will be maintained at no cost to the resident for the duration of the planning consent.

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One-off community payment

A further £1,000/MW one-off payment when construction starts to be used by each Parish Council to support local community projects.