Shell New Energies has entered the UK’s utility-scale battery storage market, partnering with developer Anesco for a project in Norfolk.
The duo are to collaborate on a 1.25MW/1.25MWh battery storage plant located adjacent to Shell’s Bacton gas terminal site, which remains one of the company’ most significant energy facilities in the UK.
Anesco has been tasked with the design, procurement, installation, commissioning and maintenance of the project, which is expected to be energised this summer.
It has not been revealed how Shell intends to operate the battery, nor the reasoning behind its placement next to the gas terminal, but the development does follow recent reports that Shell is to double down on its focus on renewables and associated technologies, placing greater significance on its New Energies division.
Last year Shell invested in domestic battery storage manufacturer sonnen in a bid to bolster its consumer offering, but the energy giant had yet to make any kind of move into the UK’s utility-scale storage market until today’s partnership.
But the country’s utility-scale battery storage market is already home to many of the globe’s energy giants. The likes of Vattenfall, EDF and Centrica have all completed large-scale battery projects in recent years and, just last month, Orsted completed a 20MW battery near Liverpool.
Earlier this week National Grid, within a wider Capacity Market consultation, outlined its expectation for the UK’s battery storage capacity to swell to as much as 1.7GW by the 2021/2022 winter period.
Steve Shine, executive chairman at Anesco, said the news was an “exciting new” development for the storage sector.
“It marks another significant milestone for us at Anesco. We have fully complied with Shell’s high standards of quality and safety and that is a massive compliment to the Anesco team,” he added.
