Electricity storage sector grows; two new projects in Somerset

Thee number of large, grid-connected energy storage projects operating in the UK has reached 35, according to data released by the Renewable Energy Association (REA). Projects use technologies from lithium-ion batteries (such as those used in electric vehicles) to pumped hydro systems (where water is stored in a reservoir and released through turbines when electricity demand peaks). More than 1,500 smaller, residential-scale projects were also recorded in the REA’s second edition of Energy Storage in the UK – An Overview.

The cumulative electricity storage capacity operating in the UK as of August was 3.23 GW, with another 450 MW of capacity either under construction or being commissioned, says the REA. In addition, some 200 MW of ‘enhanced frequency response’ storage was contracted by the National Grid in September.

Analysts working in association with the REA suggest that the 1.2 GW of extra storage capacity that was bid into the enhanced frequency response auction but did not win a contact is an indication that the storage industry has matured quickly and is ready to deliver. These extra projects will have demonstrated that they are ready to deploy and will have secured planning permission and grid connection capacity.

However, to unlock this potential market, improvements to the policy framework for storage are required, says the REA.

Energy storage is widely recognised as a technology that will have a significant role in the UK’s future energy system, allowing for an increased role for renewables, more flexibility, and greater decentralisation.

James Court, Head of Policy and External Affairs at the REA said: ‘Storage is already a reality for the UK and right now there’s an opportunity to cement us as a global centre for investment, deployment, and research. Many technologies have advanced quickly and are now commercial; as such the storage industry is not seeking a direct subsidy.’

Separately, a new report: Energy storage – towards a commercial model, from sustainable energy company Regen SW says that energy storage is poised to grow rapidly in the UK towards 10 GW in the 2030s, but action is needed to align the technology with market and policy signals if this potential is to be realised. 

In one new energy storage project, Renewable Energy Systems (RES) says it has completed its first UK-based industrial-scale battery storage facility at a 1.5 MW solar park south of Glastonbury, in Somerset. RES has delivered a
310 kVA/668 kWh battery energy storage system for Western Power Distribution (WPD) as part of a project to explore the provision of ancillary services to a distribution network operator from an embedded battery energy storage system. The combined solar-storage project is connected to WPD’s South West 11 kV power network. RES has previously pioneered energy storage projects in the US and Canada. 

Last, Camborne Energy Storage says it is installing the first grid-scale Tesla Powerpacks in Europe, to a site also in Somerset and also located at a ground-mounted solar PV site. The

50 kW/100kWh Tesla Powerpacks, installed by EPC Poweri Services, have been produced to operate and integrate seamlessly with the solar PV site, optimising the existing assets and providing ancillary services to National Grid.