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Planned UK battery storage projects double in 12 months
20/4/2022
News
A report by RenewableUK reveals a significant upsurge in energy storage projects which are already operational, and those currently under construction, consented or planned.
The pipeline of all UK battery projects has doubled from 16.1 GW a year ago to 32.1 GW today, according to the EnergyPulse Energy Storage report. Operational battery storage project capacity has increased by 45%, from 1.1 GW to 1.6 GW and projects under construction have jumped to 1.4 GW.
An additional 10.4 GW has been consented, 7.7 GW has been submitted and is now in the planning stage, and 10.9 GW is in pre-submission development, says RenewableUK.
Across the UK, England has the highest capacity of fully commissioned battery storage projects at 1,398 MW and the largest volume of planning applications with 6,163 MW.
The advancement of battery storage is very important for decarbonising energy systems, helping grid operators to overcome the intermittency of renewable sources by balancing the supply of electricity to meet demand, and providing extra power when needed.
RenewableUK’s report attributes the impressive growth in storage projects to the December 2020 legislation change that allowed local authorities to determine projects with a capacity in excess of 50 MW in England and 350 MW in Wales. These had previously been the responsibility of the central government, making the process longer and more complicated.
Consequently, larger projects have become more common, with the average size rising to 54 MW, compared to just 2 MW a decade ago.
The report also finds that almost 20% of the pipeline of battery storage projects are co-located with solar energy projects, nearly three times higher than in last year’s report.
Barnaby Wharton, Director of Future Electricity Systems at RenewableUK says: ‘The fact that the battery storage pipeline has doubled within the space of 12 months shows that the enormous appetite among investors for this technology is continuing to grow fast. But developers still need access to cheaper capital. The government can help by setting out a long-term vision for the sector, including a clearer and more stable route to market for energy storage. Although we’re making great progress, we’re still some way from delivering the 30 GW of operational flexibility which the government requires by 2030.’
