Doncaster people give feedback on plans for Thorpe Marsh green energy hub

Around 60 local people have taken a first look at plans for the development of a green energy hub at the former Thorpe Marsh power station.

Attendees included several former employees of the station which shut down in 1994.

The project is led by renewable energy firm Banks Renewables, who operate several wind farms in the South Yorkshire region.

It will reclaim the currently disused 65 hectare space to the west of Barnby Dun to create the largest battery energy storage system currently planned in the UK, and one of the largest in the world.

Members of the project team met with locals in Barnby Dun Parish Hall to give details on the plan, discuss the benefits that could be delivered and allow for feedback.

The development would feature integrated environmental enhancements including wetlands, woodlands and grassland.

Ideas are also being gathered from the community on other possible economic and social benefits.

Lewis Stokes, senior community relations manager at The Banks Group, said: “We had around 20 people booked in to meet our project team at this first event, but around three times this number turned up on the day and the general enthusiasm in the room for our ideas was both very clear and very encouraging.

”As well as speaking to residents, we also had a number of local businesses coming to speak with us about how they might get involved with the project, which fits in with Banks’ Connect To Renewables initiative through which we look to maximise our investment in the local economy on all our renewable energy projects.

“There were naturally a lot of questions asked about how we’re proposing to bring this landmark site back into active use, but the feedback we had to our responses was generally supportive and there was a recognition of the importance of producing as much of the energy that we all use by domestic renewable means.

“The launch event was a real success and we will continue our community engagement with further leaflets and more surgery events throughout the lifetime of the project, with the next one being for early next year.”

The hub could store up to 2.8GWhrs of energy, enough to supply 340,000 households with electricity for one day.

The first phase of the project would involve reclaiming the former ash disposal area by recovering up to 2.5m tonnes of pulverised fuel ash (PFA).

The team would refurbish the existing rail connection for a non-disruptive route to remove the material.

Lewis added: “The Thorpe Marsh Green Energy Hub would utilise the site’s large grid capacity to facilitate the increased deployment of renewable energy technologies on the National Grid network, so that more of the energy that we all use in our homes, businesses, schools and hospitals can be generated via renewable means.

Banks is hoping to have the full plans submitted to Doncaster Council in the coming months with work beginning in 2024 if approved.

Further information on the project is available at www.banksgroup.co.uk/thorpemarsh while any queries can be directed to [email protected].