British investor Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners has won the exclusive right to develop a 230MW/460MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Wales.
The project will be deployed at the disused Uskmouth coal-fired power plant in South Wales (which closed in 2015) and can make use of existing transmission infrastructure. Its development work includes amending the grid connection agreement and submitting a planning application to the Newport City Council.
The development rights for the project have been obtained from Simec Atlantis Energy, and the battery storage system is expected to come online by the end of 2024. Quinbrook has partnered with energy storage optimizer Energy Optimisation Solutions (EOS) to develop the project.
The two companies will work together to complete the design and planning of the Uskmouth battery energy storage project. Private Energy Partners, a subsidiary of Quinbrook, will be responsible for the procurement, construction and operation management of the energy storage system.
Habitat Energy, a battery storage optimizer acquired by Quinbrook late last year, will be optimized after the Uskmouth battery storage system is operational.
The strategy adopted by Quinbrook is to prioritise the employment of local contractors and technical experts during construction and, where possible, the project will utilize existing railroads to meet logistical demands to minimise the impact of construction activities on local influences.
Rory Quinlan, co-founder and managing partner of Quinbrook, said: "If the UK power system is to achieve its 2030 target of 95% renewable electricity, battery storage will need to be deployed in large numbers to meet the demands of grid stability and supply flexibility. Urgent requirement. By 2030, nearly 10% of the UK's grid capacity is expected to be supplied by battery storage systems, implying a capital investment of £20 billion ($24.5 billion). The Uskmouth battery storage project is just one example, Showcasing how professional energy infrastructure investors like Quinbrook can identify new opportunities for positive impacts from the energy transition."
The two-hour duration of the energy storage project also demonstrates a broader trend in the UK battery storage market. The main driver of sustained growth is the shift from energy storage to commercial and wholesale energy trading revenue, rather than just providing grid frequency response services.