Challenge.

ACS was appointed as a subcontractor on the Coventry BESS project – 50MW scheme which will form part of a national network of energy superhubs. The battery storage facility will help to ensure clean, affordable and secure electricity supplies in the Coventry area and beyond, as polluting coal and gas-fired power stations close and more intermittent renewable energy is brought onto the grid.

The network will enable ultra-rapid public charging hubs to the north and east of Coventry, bringing additional investment, employment and visitors.

Solution.

The area has some biodiversity value, so ACS’s early involvement was to provide an ecological site strip, under a strict watching brief from an attendant ecologist. The aim was to ensure that a significant, long-term net biodiversity gain is achieved, following the development.

The site will consist of a number of battery storage units of less than 3m in height and associated electrical infrastructure, surrounded by a 4m security fence. The batteries are connected directly to the substation.

Our civils scope included bulk earthworks, platform construction, multiple RC structures to house battery skids, transformers and control buildings. Other works consisted of a NG switch room, a large network of underground cable ducting, buried cabling, drainage and CCTV foundations.