The UK’s largest industrial zone, Teesworks, has partnered with renewables developer NatPower UK for a 1GW battery energy storage system (BESS).
The project will be constructed over 50 acres of the Long Acres section of the 4500-acre Teesworks site in the Tees Valley, North East England.
Construction costs are expected to total around £1 billion. While the main plan for the BESS is focused on renewable energy storage, the company also noted that the system could also support electric vehicle (EV) charging in the future.
In a LinkedIn post announcing the development, Teesworks development director Matt Johnson said: “This agreement is a fantastic vote of confidence in Teesworks and our mission to advance renewable energy in the Tees Valley”.
Boosting BESS in the UK
With the shift to renewable energy comes the need for more adaptive and flexible grid systems, and BESS is becoming an increasingly important part of this transition. The pipeline for BESS projects has increased by two-thirds in the last 12 months, marking the second consecutive 12 month period in which the pipeline has increased by this amount.
Last week, Atlantic Green signed a deal worth almost £200 million with Ameresco and Envision Energy to build and develop a new 300MW BESS in the West Midlands, with construction expected to begin later this year.
Many are seeking to integrate BESS into new or existing clean energy projects as a way to boost the flexibility of such developments. In Scotland, Fred.Olsen Renewables has launched plans to develop a hybrid onshore wind, solar, and battery energy storage project. Named Lees Hill Renewable Energy Park, the proposals are made up of six wind turbines, a 60MW solar installation, and 60MW of battery energy storage.
Financial investment in BESS is on the rise too. The Gore Street Energy Storage Fund recently revealed that its revenue grew by 5% to hit £41.4 million in the 12 months leading up to 31 March 2024. Over the same period, the fund’s operational capacity also grew by 45%, reaching 421.4MW of capacity.
Meanwhile, Aura Power recently secured £10 million of funding from Novuna Business Finance to progress its global development pipeline, including an upcoming BESS project in Capenhurst, Cheshire.
This article originally appeared on our sister publication Solar Power Portal.
