Vacant scrubland could be used to build a three-acre battery energy storage system (BESS) as a local authority looks to make money off it.

Gravesham council has revealed it is in negotiations with private company Speedgreen Limited to grant it a 37-year lease on the site to develop the scheme.

The land, in Thames Way, Northfleet, is owned by the local authority but has sat empty for many years as there is limited scope for development due to the adjacent water treatment works.

However, it is now looking to develop a BESS on the strip of scrubland which would include battery containers, inverter units and transformers, a substation and appropriate security and vehicle infrastructure.

There would also be underground cables to connect it to the Northfleet East substation.

Three-quarters of the site would be used for the relevant electrical infrastructure with the remaining kept as part of the existing embankment to act as “screening” and for ”biodiversity improvements”.

Construction would take 12 months and following the end of the lease the BESS would be decommissioned and the land returned.

Cabinet members are due to discuss the proposals to ”monetise” the land at a meeting on Monday (February 24).

In their report, council officers have recommended they support entering an agreement with Speedgreen as the rental income and profits will help the local authority balance its budget.

This means the local authority would receive a minimum yearly rent of £120,000 if the agreement goes ahead.

The lease would also contain a two-year option in favour of the London-based company to put in place the necessary planning consents and a tenant break clause at year 10.

The proposed development would be able to store and export 100 MWh of energy - enough to power around 200,000 homes for one hour.

In their report, officers added: “The storage plant will recycle and store surplus energy from the national grid for redistribution to Gravesham residents and businesses.

“The electricity generated from the storage facility is expected to provide energy at competitive prices that will benefit and support residents and businesses.”

The report also stated that Speedgreen has already secured a national grid connection date, however, still has a series of milestones to hit ahead of this.

The three-acre site sits between Ebbsfleet International Railway Station, Blue Lake, Thames Water sewage works and Springhead Industrial Park.

BESSs have been described as “vital components” in the country’s electricity grid as the government looks to decarbonise the UK’s power systems by 2035.

They work by storing power which is often created by renewable sources when supply outstrips demand and then transferring it to the national grid when it is needed.

Despite this, BESS schemes have proven controversial with nearby proposals in Southfleet and New Ash Green facing opposition.

To see more planning applications and other public notices for your area, click here.

However, plans submitted at the start of the month by Clearstone Energy to build a BESS on farmland off Station Road, between Southfleet and Northfleet, seem to have divided residents.

Many stated that these schemes are “a necessity for the future” and “vitality important” while others raised concerns over the use of farming and green belt land.