Largest UK battery energy storage facility comes online – EQ Mag
The $15.7m facility will use Tesla lithium-ion batteries and double TagEnergy’s storage capacity.
TagEnergy and Harmony Energy have completed construction on the UK’s largest battery storage facility with a capacity of 99MWh. The $38m (£30m) development has a throughput of 49.5MW and lies near Luton, in the southeast of the UK.
International bank Santander UK have also given a $15.7m (£12.5m) funding package for the development. Construction began in March 2022, with renewable energy company RES acting as asset manager.
The development, known as Chapel Farm, uses a system of Tesla Megapack lithium-ion batteries in addition to Tesla’s Autobidder AI software.
Since entering the market in 2021, TagEnergy has built a portfolio of close to 4GW across Australia, France, Portugal, Spain and the UK.
TagEnergy’s first live facility is located in Dorset, in the south-west of the UK, with a throughput of 20MW. According to Franck Woitiez, chief executive officer of TagEnergy: “With more than double the operational capacity of our first live facility, Chapel Farm will provide a significant clean energy boost to the national grid and help grow renewables’ share of it”.
Battery storage facilities for renewable energy in the UK
During 2022, the percentage of renewable generation in the UK energy mix rose to 41.4% compared to 39.6% in the year prior. The UK government has set a target to completely decarbonise the energy sector by 2035.
Mark Cumbo, director of infrastructure and renewable energy at Santander UK said that: “Battery assets, such as Chapel Farm, are a key enabler for the increasing penetration of renewable energy generation assets and to the UK meeting its net-zero target”.
According to the International Trade Administration more than 16.1GW of battery storage capacity is currently operating, under construction or in the pipeline across 729 projects in the UK. The US body claims that battery storage is a “high priority” for the UK.
As part of its Powering Up Britain policy, the UK has placed an increased emphasis on achieving energy security in the wake of sanctions placed on Russian gas.
Peter Kavanagh, Harmony Energy’s CEO claimed that: “Battery energy storage systems are essential to unlocking the full potential of renewable energy in the UK. These projects are not reliant upon taxpayer subsidy and will play a major role in contributing to the net-zero transition, as well as ensuring the future security of the UK’s energy supply.
Source: power-technology
