On this week’s Charging Ahead, Centrica has warned it may shut down its Tough offshore gasoline storage facility with out UK authorities help.
In the meantime, Concord Power is within the midst of a bidding warfare for its battery storage portfolio with competing provides from Drax Group and Foresight Group.
As well as, Subject Power, SAE, Stability Energy and EOS are all progressing numerous battery power storage system (BESS) initiatives throughout the UK.
This week’s UK power storage headlines:
- Centrica warns it might shut Tough gasoline storage facility
- Concord Power Earnings Belief to public sale battery storage portfolio
- SAE varieties three way partnership with Econergy for 250 MW Uskmouth BESS
- EOS will get approval for £62m Teesside BESS
- Subject secures £42m mortgage to speed up three UK BESS initiatives
- Stability Energy secures approval for 29.9 MW Ayrshire BESS
- Devon council rejects Clearstone Enrgy 150 MW BESS plans
- Worldwide power storage information: Midday Power targets extremely lengthy length storage and China’s Sungrow installs BESS close to Arctic Circle
Centrica warns it might shut Tough offshore gasoline storage facility
British Fuel proprietor Centrica has warned it might shut down and decommission its Tough offshore gasoline storage facility with out extra UK authorities help.
In an interview with the BBC, Centrica chief government Chris O’Shea mentioned working the Tough facility will result in a £100 million loss for the corporate this 12 months.
“If we have been to easily spend £2 billion redeveloping this subject and the summer-winter gasoline value stays the identical, then we’ll lose that £2bn and we’ll lose the price of working the ability,” O’Shea mentioned.
“It’s simply not sustainable.”
Centrica initially shut down Tough in 2017, however moved to reopen the location following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The corporate is investigating changing the Tough facility for offshore hydrogen storage, amid ongoing considerations in regards to the UK’s lack of gasoline provide flexibility.
O’Shea known as on the UK authorities to “assist create the circumstances which can unlock £2bn of funding” in Tough.
Centrica has advocated for the federal government to increase eligibility for its lengthy length power storage (LDES) cap-and-floor mechanism for hydrogen storage initiatives.
The uncertainty surrounding Tough comes regardless of Chris Stark, the top of the federal government’s Mission Management, just lately telling a Westminster committee that hydrogen is “arduous to beat” for LDES.
SAE and Econergy to work collectively on 250 MW Uskmouth BESS
Edinburgh-headquartered SAE has entered right into a strategic three way partnership with Israeli agency Econergy Worldwide to develop a 250 MW BESS challenge in Wales.
The Afon Wysg 2 (AW2) BESS is the second stage of SAE’s plans to redevelop the previous Uskmouth coal-fired energy station close to Newport right into a sustainable power park.
Singaporean-owned SAE just lately secured an £8.5 million mortgage from the Cardiff Capital Area to progress the 120 MW/240 MWh AW1 BESS challenge on the website.
In becoming a member of with Econergy on progressing AW2, SAE mentioned the mixed expertise of the 2 corporations ensures the challenge is “well-positioned” to safe planning consent and transfer towards monetary closure.
With battery know-how quickly progressing and decreasing in prices, SAE additionally mentioned it should design AW2 for a most length of as much as 5 hours, rising its potential capability 1.25 GWh.
SAE mentioned it goals to safe planning permission inside the subsequent 12 months and attain a remaining funding resolution in 2027.
AW2 would be the third battery storage challenge at Uskmouth, following AW1 and an current 460 MW challenge which SAE offered in 2023.
© Provided by SAESAE chief government Graham Reid mentioned the partnership with Econergy is “a really perfect match for each events and for the challenge”.
“We’ve got a transparent technique to be an impartial energy producer, and we’re delighted to be partnering with an organization that has the identical technique,” Reid mentioned.
Econergy head of storage Joshua Murphy mentioned the three way partnership with SAE marks a “strategic milestone” for the corporate’s continued enlargement into the UK power storage market.
“As we scale our power storage portfolio throughout Europe, the AW2 challenge displays our dedication to constructing important infrastructure that helps the UK’s grid stability,” Murphy mentioned.
“Partnering with SAE at one of many UK’s most superior power hubs reinforces our ambition to be a number one power in delivering versatile, dependable, and sustainable energy options.”
Alongside Uskmouth, Econergy is progressing 4 different BESS initiatives within the UK in addition to photo voltaic and battery storage initiatives in Poland, Italy, Romania and Greece.
Concord Power to public sale battery storage portfolio
London-listed battery storage developer Concord Power Earnings Belief (HEIT) is about to go below the hammer this week after receiving bids from Drax and Foresight Group.
HEIT introduced on 25 March that it had agreed a £200m cope with Drax masking its totally operational portfolio of eight UK BESS initiatives.
The proposed money acquisition valued the corporate at a value of 88p per share, representing an 11% premium in comparison with its closing value on 24 March.
© Provided by Concord PowerNonetheless, on 16 April HEIT introduced it had agreed phrases with Foresight Group subsidiary PP Bidco Ltd which valued the corporate at 92.4p per share.
In an announcement on 19 Might, HEIT mentioned that as neither Drax nor Foresight have declared their provides remaining a “aggressive state of affairs continues to exist”.
In consequence, the HEIT board has accredited an public sale process which can happen on Wednesday 21 Might.
Following the outcomes of the public sale course of, HEIT mentioned its board will make an extra announcement setting out which supply it should suggest to its shareholders.
EOS will get approval for £62m Teesside BESS
Council authorities have accredited plans from Power Optimisation Options (EOS) to construct a £62m battery storage website on the Teesworks industrial website.
The challenge will help greater than 100 jobs and reduce carbon emissions by round 4,000 tonnes, the builders mentioned.
The 100 MW BESS challenge will probably be situated on a three-acre plot on the Lengthy Acres part of the two,500 acre Teesworks website on the south financial institution of the River Tees.
© Provided by BPEOS director Peter Walker mentioned the Teesworks website is the “excellent location” for the corporate’s subsequent BESS facility.
“If we as a rustic are going to hit our web zero ambitions then power storage is completely important,” Walker mentioned.
EOS is constructing a number of BESS initiatives throughout the UK, together with a 230 MW facility at Newport in south Wales.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen mentioned: “This challenge is an extra key funding in our plan to remodel Teesworks right into a powerhouse for renewable power.
“This battery storage facility won’t solely help the multi-billion pound industries of the longer term we’re bringing to Teesside, however may even present well-paid work that immediately advantages native folks.”
Subject secures £42m to speed up three UK BESS initiatives
UK battery storage developer Subject has secured a £42m mortgage to speed up three BESS initiatives in England and Scotland representing 125 MW of storage capability.
Subject mentioned the funding settlement with Rabobank and ING covers financing for the 25 MW Whitebirk BESS close to Blackburn.
It additionally covers two Scottish initiatives, together with the 50 MW Holmston BESS close to Ayr and the 50 MW Drum Farm BESS close to Keith in Moray.
The Holmston and Drum Farm initiatives will start operations in 2026 and 2027 respectively, whereas Whitebirk is predicted to come back on-line later this 12 months.
As soon as deployed, all three two-hour length websites will probably be able to powering the equal of simply over 415,000 houses for 2 hours when known as on.
Subject forecasts the initiatives will keep away from as much as 170,665 tonnes of CO2 emissions from coming into the environment over their lifetime.
As well as, Subject mentioned its battery storage initiatives will contribute to decreasing wind curtailment prices which reached as much as £253m within the first two months of 2025.
Subject chief monetary officer Stephen White mentioned the settlement additionally covers the usage of Gaia, Subject’s in-house flexibility platform, to optimise the three BESS initiatives.
Stability Energy secures approval for 29.9 MW Ayrshire BESS
UK battery storage developer Stability Energy has secured planning permission from East Ayrshire Council for its 29.9 MW BESS challenge close to Coylton.
Stability Energy mentioned the challenge, comprising 18 battery models, will assist to energy roughly 16,200 houses.
As soon as operational, the corporate estimates the Coylton BESS will scale back CO2 emissions by about 11,000 tonnes yearly, equal to taking practically 8,000 automobiles off the street.
As a part of the challenge, Stability Energy mentioned it has additionally put in photo voltaic panels on the close by Ochiltree Neighborhood Hub.
© Provided by Stability EnergyStability Energy connections supervisor Oli Pettersen mentioned the corporate is proud to have acquired unanimous approval from the council for its plans.
“In addition to advancing native and nationwide web zero targets, this battery storage website is about to make a constructive affect on Coylton and the encircling space, creating native development and operation jobs and bolstering its power safety and reliability,” he mentioned.
“We’re particularly happy to be supporting the Ochiltree group hub as a part of our work within the space – it’s a focused however impactful approach that we are able to contribute to the unbelievable work being finished there.”
Clearstone Power 150 MW Axminster BESS plans rejected
A council in Devon has rejected plans from Clearstone Power for a 150 MW BESS challenge.
The BBC reported East Devon District Council refused planning permission for the Axminster Power Hub after an almost 4 hour debate wherein residents raised hearth security and air pollution considerations.
Clearstone Power coverage and technique director Simon Rothwell informed the BBC that initiatives like Axminster have been “important” to rising power safety, decreasing power prices and slowing the speed of local weather change.
He additionally mentioned the BESS plans wouldn’t have “put the protection of native residents or the water provides in danger”.
Power Voice contacted Clearstone Power for touch upon whether or not the corporate would enchantment the planning refusal, however didn’t obtain a response.
Regardless of the Devon setback, the UK photo voltaic and battery developer achieved planning success in latest weeks after securing consent for 2 different BESS hubs in England.
Worldwide power storage information
Midday Power targets extremely lengthy length storage
California-based startup Midday Power has begun a full-scale demonstrations of its ultra-long length power storage (ULDES) battery know-how, which has the flexibility to supply between 100 and 1,000 hours of storage capability.
Based in 2018 by former NASA scientist Chris Graves, Midday has developed a novel low price, excessive power density carbon-oxygen battery know-how.
© Provided by Midday PowerA key advantage of the know-how is that it doesn’t retailer power in metals, however as a substitute shops it in carbon and oxygen utilizing nature-based chemistry ideas.
This removes the necessity for parts like lithium and cobalt, and the Midday know-how solely requires round 1% of the minerals wanted for lithium-ion batteries.
Midday raised $28m (£21m) in financing in 2023, with traders together with Saudi Arabia’s Aramco Ventures and local weather fund Clear Power Ventures.
Later this 12 months, Midday plans to show its know-how on a 100 kW/10 MWh system in a pilot challenge.
Midday secured $8.8m from the California Power Fee in 2024 to progress the demonstration challenge.
Graves, the corporate’s founder and chief government, informed US media that the corporate’s full-scale demonstration mannequin “has confirmed to be very profitable”.
“We’re working in the direction of productising and scaling up manufacturing of Midday’s battery merchandise to be obtainable to the market as quickly as attainable,” Graves mentioned.
China’s Sungrow installs 60 MWh BESS close to Arctic Circle
Chinese language battery developer Sungrow has deployed a 60 MWh battery storage challenge lower than 100km from the Arctic Circle close to the city of Simo in Finland.
© Provided by SungrowSungrow mentioned the challenge, a part of its FRV AmpTank three way partnership, is without doubt one of the northernmost battery storage initiatives on the planet.
Incorporating 26 Sungrow PowerTitan 1.0 battery containers, Sungrow mentioned the Simo challenge will play a “very important function” in stabilising the native grid amid rising renewable power technology.
Charging Ahead, bringing you the most recent in UK and worldwide power storage information, is kindly sponsored by ABB BESS-as-a-Service.
