Scotland’s Battery Boom: ILI Group Secures 100 MW Storage Project Amid Renewable Push

Gate 2-Ready Broxburn BESS Joins 350 MW Wave of Approvals

ILI Group has cleared a critical hurdle for its 100 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) near Broxburn, West Lothian, marking its first major planning consent of 2025. The Section 36 approval positions the Learielaw project as a key player in Scotland’s grid flexibility strategy, with construction slated to begin once final investment decisions are made. This follows a late-2024 surge that saw 350 MW of ILI’s storage projects greenlit across North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, and the Highlands—a clear signal of Scotland’s accelerating energy transition.

“This isn’t just about megawatts; it’s about reshaping how Scotland balances its grid,” said ILI Group’s CEO. “With renewables dominating generation, storage is the glue holding the system together.”

The Broxburn site isn’t just another battery farm. It’s Gate 2 ready—meaning it meets stringent UK Capacity Market (CP30) criteria—and has a secured grid connection for 2028. Such projects are increasingly vital as the UK grapples with renewable intermittency. BESS technology soaks up excess wind and solar power during peak generation, then releases it during demand spikes, smoothing out price volatility and preventing blackouts.

Global Storage Surge: From Chad to Negative Prices

While ILI expands Scotland’s storage backbone, France’s Qair is breaking ground on hybrid solar-storage plants in Chad’s Gassi and Lamadji regions. These projects underscore a global trend: coupling renewables with storage is no longer optional. The Spring 2025 issue of Energy Global dives deeper into this shift, analyzing Europe’s negative electricity price phenomenon—where surplus renewable generation occasionally drives prices below zero—and the infrastructure upgrades needed to avoid waste.

Back in the UK, ILI’s Broxburn project exemplifies how battery systems are becoming the Swiss Army knives of energy grids. They don’t just store power; they provide frequency regulation, reduce curtailment costs, and defer expensive grid upgrades. With the UK targeting 30 GW of storage by 2030, expect more approvals—and more debates—as battery farms reshape landscapes and energy markets alike.