Friday 3 March 2017

Two UK battery projects to provide 50MW of storage

Two large-scale lithium ion energy storage projects have been announced for the UK.

VLC Energy, a joint venture between green investment firm Low Carbon and CHP operator VPI Immingham, will connect 50MW of battery storage to the grid by the end of the year.

A 10MW development will be installed in Cleator in Cumbria and a larger 40MW battery will be installed in Glassenbury in Kent.

The projects were awarded contracts under National Grid’s first £66 million Enhanced Frequency Response (EFR) tender, developed by the system operator to procure rapid response system balancing capability.

Energy storage projects in the UK are increasing at a significant rate as costs continue to fall and grid operators explore new ways to meet peak demand and integrate renewable sources into the UK energy mix.

Roy Bedlow, Chief Executive at Low Carbon, said: "By actively building a robust portfolio of renewable energy projects at scale, we are substantively challenging the causes of climate change, while helping to meet the growing demand for renewable energy in the UK."

EDF Energy Renewables has awarded a contract to build what will be Europe’s largest battery storage project.