Field is a developer/owner/operator, which means we are responsible for the project throughout its entire lifecycle. This differentiates us from many developers who look to take the project to shovel-ready status – that’s securing land, grid connection and planning permission, and then sell the project on.

We will be working with the community during early design and development, construction, and throughout the operation of the project.

We will be submitting our planning application to the Energy Consents Unit in Autumn 2024. If we are granted consent, we would look to start construction in 2027 and it will take about two years to complete.

We’re currently working with the National Schools Partnership* to deliver a community-based programme in local schools to help educate students about the work that Field is undertaking in renewable energy and energy storage, as well as encouraging and equipping young people to explore careers in STEM and renewable energy. The Field team will work with local schools to provide information to students about how to build a career in the renewable energy sector.

*National Schools Partnership is a unique education network (run by the Brand and Social Impact Agency, We Are Futures) providing free teaching resources to schools across the whole of the UK.

Once operational, the Project will have minimal impact on local traffic, with only occasional visits required for maintenance. When the battery is being built, construction traffic is managed through a Construction Traffic Management Plan. This will include details of construction traffic numbers, vehicle routing and working hours. As with all aspects of the development, we welcome input from the local community to help reduce any impact on local roads where possible.

The main noise associated with batteries are the cooling fans, which keep the batteries from overheating. This noise level is low and the batteries are not expected to be audible beyond the site boundary. Noise is measured against existing background noise levels and noise levels are required to meet the relevant British Standards and World Health Organisation Noise Guidelines.

We conduct thorough noise evaluations for each site and implement various noise mitigation measures in our project plans. These measures, such as acoustic fencing, ensure that noise impacts are acceptable at nearby sensitive locations.

Large batteries are safe facilities. We work hard throughout site design, construction and into operation to ensure the safety of our sites. We would only use batteries that have best-in-class fire safety performance and will be compliant with all relevant fire safety standards.

The batteries will be constantly monitored and in the unlikely event that a fire does occur, the facility will employ automatic fire detection and suppression systems.

We are also working with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to ensure suitable emergency response procedures are in place, including a Battery Fire Safety Management Plan.

To keep our sites secure, all our projects include perimeter fencing and gated access. During operation, our sites are unmanned and CCTV is used to monitor activities.

The site is located close to both the footpaths along the River Beauly and the A862, the route of the North Coast 500. We understand there are sensitive viewpoints along these routes, and we’ll carry out a full landscape and visual assessment to understand potential impacts and how we can best mitigate them. One way we’ll reduce visual impacts is by planting trees and landscaping around the site’s perimeter, which will also contribute to biodiversity enhancements through the introduction of species rich grassland and wildflower areas.

We appreciate the significance of these viewpoints and we’re open to thoughts or suggestions about how its setting can be protected.