Monday 5 February 2018

Battery partnership plans 41MW site in Midlands

A new partnership aims to build one of the world's largest battery storage facilities in the UK.

Energy infrastructure firm General Electric (GE) has won a contract from storage developer Arenko to deliver a 41MW battery system capable of supplying on-demand power to approximately 100,000 UK homes.

The companies expect it to help reduce energy bills for UK households and businesses, as well as boosting energy efficiency on both local and national power grids.

They say the system will help manage increasing renewable capacity, meet the demands posed by new technologies such as electric vehicles and create a more secure energy network.

This battery storage system will be located in the Midlands and is planned to become operational later this year.

Mirko Molinari, Global Commercial and Marketing Executive of Energy Storage at GE Power, said: "Energy storage will enable a more efficient system for a more reliable supply of electricity to consumers.

"The flexibility it offers smooths the fluctuating nature of renewable energy, provides quick reserves when needed, stores excess energy generation and much more."

The UK’s ‘largest portfolio’ of utility-scale, enhanced frequency response battery storage sites has recently been completed.