Cowley Substation, Blackberry Lane Battery Storage Energy System (200 MW)
Cowley Substation, Blackberry Lane Battery Storage Energy System is a 200 MW battery storage project in South Oxfordshire, England. Its status in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract) is: approved on 17 July 2025, not yet built; the record was last updated on 7 October 2025.
200 MWbattery storage
approved, not builtstatus in REPD
7 October 2025record last updated
South Oxfordshirecouncil area
Planning timeline
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| 25 October 2024 | Application submitted |
| 17 July 2025 | Planning permission granted |
| 17 July 2028 | Permission due to expire (unless work starts) |
Project details
- Technology
- battery storage (stand-alone storage)
- Capacity
- 200 MW
- Status (REPD)
- approved, not built
- Record last updated
- 7 October 2025
- Operator or applicant
- Penso Power (BW ESS)
- Planning authority
- South Oxfordshire
- Planning application reference
- P24/S3405/FUL
- Address (REPD)
- Adj Cowley Substation, Oxford
- Council area (by location)
- South Oxfordshire
- Time to decision
- 38 weeks
- Name in REPD
- Cowley Substation, Blackberry Lane - Battery Storage Energy System
- REPD reference
- 17503
Who decides
| Applications | South Oxfordshire | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Decided applications (solar, wind, battery) | 33 | 10,236 |
| Refused | 9 (27%) | 19% |
| Solar refused | 4 of 23 | 12% |
| Battery storage refused | 5 of 10 | 16% |
| Median time from submission to decision | 21.4 weeks | 17.0 weeks |
| Appeals lodged / allowed | 1 / 4 | — |
UK: all UK planning authorities. Counted under these REPD planning authority names: Oxfordshire, South Oxfordshire.
Other large projects within 10 km
| Project | Type | MW | Status | km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower road, Garsington | battery storage | 100 | refused | 1.2 |
| Nuneham Courtenay Solar Farm & Battery Storage Facility | solar farm | 49.9 | approved, not built | 1.5 |
| Cowley electricity sub-station | battery storage | 49.9 | operational | 1.7 |
| Nuneham Courtenay Solar Farm | solar farm | 49.9 | application submitted | 2.4 |
| Burcot Solar Farm | solar farm | 49.9 | approved, not built | 4.1 |
| Burcot Farm Battery Storage | battery storage | 49.9 | application withdrawn | 4.9 |
| Wally Corner Landfill Site | solar farm | 7 | operational | 5.2 |
| Culham Science Centre, Clifton Hampden | battery storage | 500 | approved, not built | 5.6 |
| Culham Science Centre | battery storage | 250 | abandoned | 6.0 |
Status and dates as recorded in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract); the database is compiled from public sources and can lag behind council decisions. Location: REPD grid reference (51.7025, -1.1802).