Hawthorn Grid Site (49 MW battery storage)
Hawthorn Grid Site is a 49 MW battery storage project in County Durham, England. Its status in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract) is: operational since 11 September 2024; the record was last updated on 13 February 2026.
49 MWbattery storage
operationalstatus in REPD
13 February 2026record last updated
County Durhamcouncil area
Planning timeline
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| 18 March 2022 | Application submitted |
| 2 December 2022 | Planning permission granted |
| 11 September 2024 | Operational |
Project details
- Technology
- battery storage (stand-alone storage)
- Capacity
- 49 MW
- Status (REPD)
- operational
- Record last updated
- 13 February 2026
- Operator or applicant
- Harmony Energy Limited
- Planning authority
- County Durham
- Planning application reference
- DM/22/00747/FPA
- Address (REPD)
- Hawthorn Grid Site Murton
- Council area (by location)
- County Durham
- Time to decision
- 37 weeks
- Name in REPD
- Hawthorn Grid Site - Battery Storage
- REPD reference
- 10896
Who decides
| Applications | County Durham | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Decided applications (solar, wind, battery) | 89 | 10,236 |
| Refused | 22 (25%) | 19% |
| Solar refused | 7 of 51 | 12% |
| Onshore wind refused | 13 of 30 | 45% |
| Battery storage refused | 2 of 8 | 16% |
| Median time from submission to decision | 24.7 weeks | 17.0 weeks |
| Appeals lodged / allowed | 5 / 5 | — |
UK: all UK planning authorities. Counted under these REPD planning authority names: County Durham, Durham.
Other large projects within 10 km
| Project | Type | MW | Status | km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodlands, Windermere Road | battery storage | 90 | application submitted | <0.1 |
| Carrs Farm, South Hetton | battery storage | 200 | application submitted | 0.6 |
| Hawthorn Pit -Solar Farm | solar farm | 49.9 | approved, not built | 1.2 |
| Hawthorn Wind Farm | wind farm | 7.5 | application withdrawn | 1.7 |
| Hallfield Farm, Easington | battery storage | 57 | application submitted | 1.8 |
| Hallfield Farm, Easington Solar Farm | solar farm | 49.9 | application submitted | 1.8 |
| Peterlee Solar Farm | solar farm | 5 | operational | 3.4 |
| Great Eppleton Farm Repowering | wind farm | 8.2 | operational | 3.6 |
| Hackworth Road, North West Industrial Estate | solar farm | 15.4 | application submitted | 3.7 |
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 (54.8014, -1.3942).