Battery energy storage plant to be built next to former Ferrybridge power station
It would store power from renewables for use when demand is high
Last updated 2nd Jun 2025
Proposals to build a battery energy storage system (BESS) next to a former power station have been approved.
The scheme involves installing the facility near to the old Ferrybridge C power station.
Wakefield Council has granted permission for One Plant Developments to install the plant on greenbelt land off Stranglands Lane, next to the A1(M).
BESS facilities take in power from renewable energy sources and then release it back onto the National Grid when demand is high.
A statement prepared on behalf of the company said: “The primary principle which underpins the application is the need for BESS to facilitate the decarbonisation of the UK’s energy system in accordance with government policy.”
The company said the location of the site, which is currently agricultural land, had been chosen due to its proximity to the Ferrybridge C substation.
The application received one objection and no comments of support since it was submitted in March 2024.
The document added: “There are no residential properties in the immediate vicinity of the application site, and the proposed development is not likely to affect any significant number of people.
“Given that the proposed BESS will be an unmanned facility, with access required only for occasional maintenance inspections, and there being no public access to the site, there are no particular access issues that require to be addressed.”
The former power plant, close to the river Aire, was shut in March 2016 having produced energy for more than 50 years.
It was one of the biggest power generators in Europe with its coal-fired boilers producing enough electricity to power two million homes.
At its peak it employed about 800 people.
The eight 380ft high cooling towers at Ferrybride C were a familiar landmark.
The structures were demolished in phases between 2019 and 2022.
In March last year, plans were approved to transform the site into a major industrial and employment zone, with the creation of up to 2,500 jobs.
Developers Mountpark Logistics said the project could generate £130m a year for the local economy.