ONE of the biggest battery storage facilities in Europe is to be created in Kincardine.

Canada-based Amp Energy has announced it plans to build two 400 MW facilities – one in West Fife and the other at Hunterston in Ayrshire – which will be the two largest sites of their kind in Europe.

Amp X, Amp's proprietary AI-powered digital energy platform, will be used to optimize dispatch of power from the batteries to the electricity grid.

The projects will then provide reliable grid stability services and power management across the central belt of Scotland.

By storing and managing the dispatch of renewable energy generated from Scottish windfarms, the projects, which it is hoped will be in operation by 2024, are future-proofing the UK's electricity infrastructure at a fraction of the cost of expensive transmission upgrades.

Over the coming years, Amp's Scottish battery facilities will enable up to 1,750 GWhrs per year of additional renewable energy to be generated in Scotland and transported to other regions of the UK – equivalent to enabling approximately 500 MW of new offshore wind deployments.

Ben Skinner, Vice President Global Markets at Amp, said through the ground-breaking projects, they were making a "significant investment" in vitally needed green infrastructure as the UK transitions to a fully decarbonised grid.

"Our projects not only support the growth of renewable generation in Scotland but also provide an alternative to costly transmission upgrades for consumers," he said.

The Hunterston and Kincardine projects are also participating in National Grid's Scottish Stability Pathfinder 2 tender, which seeks to address voltage and stability issues faced by the UK electricity grid.

They will deploy state-of-the-art grid-forming inverter technology alongside two new Synchronous Condensers installations which also assist with grid stabilisation.

Dunfermline and West MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville welcomed the news.

"I met with key representatives earlier this week to learn more about this project and how it will affect people living in the Kincardine area," she said.

"While it's crucial that we have facilities like this to store and manage our renewable energy, I urged them to ensure local residents have the opportunity to ask questions and share their views.

"I'm therefore pleased that AMP Energy have listened to my suggestion and committed to hosting a Community Engagement event within the next three months.

"This will help explain what a battery storage facility is, the need for this type of project to meet Net Zero, timings of construction, how it will operate, and the benefits it will bring.

"I'm also encouraged to hear they will be seeking local views on how they can best support the local area, including potentially providing funding or sponsorship for local community groups."