Downing Renewable Developments (DRD) has been granted the first planning consent in a portfolio of renewable energy sites it is developing in partnership with one of the UK’s leading waste and resource management businesses, FCC Environment.

DRD worked with FCC Environment to ensure that the Rowley Regis site, known as the Edwin Richards Energy Storage Park, aligns with FCC’s own ongoing operational requirements and community obligations.

The planning consent is for a battery storage facility close to Rowley Regis in the West Midlands of up to 100 MW / 200 MWh which will store enough energy to power up to 300,000 homes for a two-hour period.  

DRD will continue to work with FCC Environment in the development of a significant portfolio of sites that includes onshore wind, battery storage and solar farms. DRD was granted its first planning consent last year for a 49.9 MW solar farm in Norfolk, part of its 6GW pipeline of development projects across the UK.

DRD was established by investment manager Downing, which has £920 million assets under management in the core renewables space, to develop an exclusive pipeline of solar PV, battery energy storage and onshore wind assets across the UK for the Downing-managed energy funds.

FCC Environment CEO Steve Longdon said: 

"As one of the UK's largest waste and resource businesses, we know it's our duty to do the best by our environment and the communities in which we operate. We have a large landholding across the UK, and it is our responsibility as land stewards to manage that land in a sustainable way and return it back to productive environmental use once it is no longer required for operational purposes. As such we are delighted to be working with DRD on this and other projects to do just that."

Tony Gannon, Head of Downing Renewable Developments added:

"Our relationship with FCC Environment has been an important step as we continue to grow our business, particularly given the joint benefits we can achieve by using largely brownfield land for renewable energy purposes. We look forward to building on this partnership as we continue to develop further projects."

For more information about Downing Renewable Developments go to About Downing Renewable Developments.

Downing has c.90 professionals dedicated to renewable energy and infrastructure and a proven track record in renewables. Since 2010, Downing has made c.200 investments in the core renewables space.

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