Northern Ireland's renewable energy landscape is seeing encouraging momentum, with several significant developments approved or completed in recent months.
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council has granted planning approval for a £75m long-duration battery energy storage system at Moneybroom Road. This large-scale facility will help balance electricity supply and demand on the grid, storing power from renewable sources for use when it's needed most.
Meanwhile, Mid Ulster District Council has approved a £25m battery storage system and EV charging superhub near Toome, delivering the area's first purpose-built ultra-rapid charging facility along the strategically important A6 corridor. This follows SSE Renewables' acquisition of a 100MW battery storage project near Dungannon last year.
On the generation side, NI Water has completed the second phase of its solar programme, bringing installations at sites in Antrim, Ballymena, Magilligan, Derg, and Killyhevlin bringing the total to nearly 5,000 panels with a combined capacity of around 2.2MW. A further installation at a site near Donaghadee, featuring over 3,300 panels, is scheduled to begin in early 2026.
Sustainable NI welcomes these developments as a step in the right direction for Northern Ireland's low-carbon transition. However, to truly maximise the sustainability benefits of these investments, we believe battery storage projects should be developed in combination with solar PV generation wherever possible. Integrating storage with on-site renewable generation creates more resilient, efficient energy systems and accelerates our path to net zero.
We look forward to seeing more detail on these developments as they progress and encourage continued collaboration between councils, developers, and communities to ensure Northern Ireland realises the full potential of its renewable energy future, and where possible, that the benefits are shared with local communities.
