Monday 27 June 2022

Wärtsilä joins SSE for first grid-scale battery project

Wärtsilä has partnered with SSE to develop a 50MW energy storage system in Wiltshire.

The project represents SSE’s first 100MWh battery on the UK grid – and once operational, will be connected directly by the energy company’s solar and battery division to the transmission network.

The facility will help to balance renewable energy generation throughout the day and contribute towards the UK’s net zero goals.

SSE has committed to invest £24 billion during the next decade into renewable infrastructure – with this battery one of its key investments.

It is expected to be operational by September 2023.

Richard Cave-Bigley, SSE’s Director of Solar and Battery, said: “Today is a key milestone for SSE as we build out our first battery storage project at Salisbury – but it is also just the beginning of a multi-GW pipeline of solar and battery projects to come.”

“Energy storage must not be overlooked – effectively balancing the intermittency of renewables is the missing part of the net zero puzzle. If properly deployed, energy storage will enable the grid to deal with fluctuations in renewable energy supply and ensure that the end users of energy have secured power supply as we switch to cheaper, cleaner energy,” added Kenneth Engblom, Wärtsilä Energy’s Vice President of Europe and Africa.