© Supplied by DCT Media/STS Group In this week’s Charging Forward, TotalEnergies has acquired a pipeline of two battery storage projects from Low Carbon, alongside eight solar farms.
Elsewhere, an offer from Drax Group to buy the battery energy storage system (BESS) portfolio of Harmony Energy Income Trust has lapsed.
And UK energy storage developers Gresham House and Statera have advocated for the implementation of zonal electricity pricing.
This week’s energy storage headlines:
- TotalEnergies buys UK BESS and solar project pipeline from Low Carbon
- Drax offer for Harmony Energy BESS portfolio lapses
- Scottish government approves 100 MW Ardrossan BESS
- Gresham House and Statera come out in favour of zonal pricing
- Queequeg Renewables secures consent for 100 MW Cheshire BESS
- EDF signs offtake agreement with Aukera for Scottish solar BESS project
- International energy storage news: China inaugurates first large-scale sodium ion BESS
TotalEnergies buys two UK BESS projects from Low Carbon
French energy giant TotalEnergies has acquired two UK BESS projects with a combined 85 MW from London-based developer Low Carbon.
The deal also includes a pipeline of eight solar projects with a total capacity of 350 MW.
TotalEnergies said the “advanced” solar projects could be operational by 2028 and produce more than 350 GWh per year of renewable electricity.
TotalEnergies senior vice president renewables Olivier Jouny said: “The acquisition of these solar and battery projects located in the south of England will complement our integrated electricity portfolio in the UK, which includes 1.1 GW of gross installed offshore wind, 1.3 GW of gross combined cycle gas turbine, and more than 600 MW of solar projects under development.”
Low Carbon chief executive and founder Roy Bedlow said the deal with TotalEnergies sees his company deliver “one of the largest ready-to-build portfolios of solar and battery projects in the UK market”.
“Once built, these projects will make a vital contribution to the government’s Clean Power 2030 ambition and reinforce Low Carbon’s track record for developing renewable assets of the highest quality, while supporting the build out of the rest of our renewables pipeline as we continue to scale as an independent power producer,” Bedlow said.
Drax offer for Harmony Energy BESS portfolio lapses
An offer from Drax Group to purchase the BESS portfolio of Harmony Energy Income Trust (HEIT) has lapsed.
Drax a £200m deal to purchase the HEIT portfolio of eight BESS projects in March, valuing HEIT at 88p per share.
Altogether, the eight HEIT BESS projects represent capacity of just under 400 MW.
© Supplied by Harmony EnergyHowever, HEIT later received a separate offer from Foresight Group which valued the company at 92.4p per share.
In a statement on 19 May, HEIT said because the offers from Drax and Foresight were not final, it would undertake an auction procedure on Wednesday 21 May.
But in a statement to the London markets on 30 May, Drax confirmed its cash offer for HEIT has lapsed.
Neither HEIT nor Foresight have confirmed the outcome of the auction procedure.
Scottish government approves 100 MW Ardrossan BESS
The Scottish government has approved plans from Warrington-based New Energy Partnership (NEP) to build a 100 MW BESS development near Ardrossan.
The Rashley New Energy project is located on up to 12 acres of agricultural land at High Boydstone Farm in North Ayrshire, and will feature 112 battery units.
According to planning authorities, the development received no objections from the public or from consulted organisations.
NEP claims to have a 1 GW pipeline of BESS projects between 20MW and 500MW in size across Scotland, England and Wales.
Gresham House and Statera come out in favour of zonal pricing
Energy storage developers Gresham House and Statera Energy have come out in favour of the introduction of zonal pricing.
Speaking to The Times, Gresham House head of energy transition Ben Guest said the firm believed zonal pricing was ““an essential step for the UK’s electricity system”.
The UK government has been assessing the introduction of zonal pricing, which would split the Great Britain electricity market into around 12 different regions.
While proponents argue the reforms would lead to savings on transmission upgrades and lower power prices in Scotland, opponents argue it could lead to reduced investment and job losses.
© Supplied by ZenobeThe decision on the review of electricity market arrangements (REMA) is long delayed, leading to calls from the industry for the government to “get on with it“.
Guest told the Times that Gresham’s analysis showed “a well-designed zonal pricing system can reduce wholesale energy costs and reduce the need for a lot of the planned electricity network upgrades and associated pylons”.
Meanwhile, Statera Energy chief executive Tom Vernon told the Times that his company supports zonal pricing “because it will make the power system more transparent, and provide a clear price signal for the efficient operation and location of demand and generation.
Vernon said he is confident that zonal pricing will “lower costs in the long run”.
The comments from Gresham House and Statera are at odds with other UK BESS developers.
Zenobe, Harmoney Energy and Field have all advocated against zonal pricing, demonstrating the split within the renewable sector regarding the controversial proposal.
Queequeg secures consent for 100 MW Cheshire BESS
UK renewable energy developer Queequeg Renewables has secured planning consent for a 100 MW BESS project in Cheshire.
The London-based firm secured approval from Cheshire East Council’s planning committee to build the BESS project at Hazel Grove near Poynton.
A Queequeg Renewables spokesperson said: “This strategic asset will play a critical role in supporting grid stability, enhancing renewable energy integration, and providing flexible power services capable of serving up to 500,000 homes once operational.
“We extend our sincere thanks to Pegasus Group for their huge support throughout the planning process of this scheme.
“As momentum builds for UK energy independence, strategic projects are critical components of the roadmap towards achieving our 2030 commitments, ensuring reliable energy supplies nationwide.”
EDF signs offtake agreement for Scottish solar BESS project
French energy giant EDF has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Aukera for 100% of the renewable energy generated from a Scottish solar and BESS project.
The Benthead Solar Farm secured a Contract for Difference (CfD) in the sixth allocation round (AR6) last year.
Located in North Ayrshire, the 63 MW solar farm also includes a 31 MW co-located BESS component.
The PPA will run for between nine and 11 years, EDF said depending on the commissioning of the BESS.
The Benthead project is 100% owned by Aukera and has been financed and will be built as part of a 250MW portfolio.
It is forecast to generate over 78.4GWh of electricity per year – enough to power more than 25,000 homes, while preventing around 17,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.
With commissioning targeted for 2026, the site is expected to generate a total of 705-862GWh over the PPA term.
According to its website, Aukera, a subsidiary of Belgian firm AtlasInvest, is developing a pipeline of over 16 GW of renewable energy projects worldwide, including more than 7.2 GW of energy storage projects.
International energy storage news
China inaugurates first large-scale sodium ion BESS
Chinese grid operator China Southern Power Grid (CSPG) has commissioned a 10 MWh sodium-ion battery storage project in Nanning.
CSPG said the facility, the first phase of a 100 MWh project, is the first large-scale sodium-ion project of its kind in China.
© Supplied by China Southern Power“China has put into operation the first large-scale storage station with sodium-ion batteries, marking a new era for low-cost batteries for large-scale use,” the firm said in a statement.
When sodium-ion battery energy storage enters the stage of large-scale application, the cost can be reduced by 20 percent to 30 percent, according to CSPG technical expert Chen Man.
Battery developers in China are progressing sodium-ion batteries as part of a global effort to diversify away from reliance on lithium-ion technology.
While lithium-ion batteries offer higher energy density, making them more attractive for EVs, sodium-ion batteries offer advantages in terms of costs, safety, durability and more abundant raw materials.
As a result, firms around the world are looking to develop sodium-ion batteries as an alternative to lithium-ion for energy storage projects and other applications, with China leading the way.
Last month, CSPG also commissioned China’s first large-scale lithium-sodium hybrid BESS project in Wenshan, Yunnan province.
The Baochi energy storage station is capable of storing up to 800 MWh of electricity per day, roughly equivalent to the electricity demands of 270,000 households.
Charging Forward, bringing you the latest in UK and international energy storage news, is kindly sponsored by ABB BESS-as-a-Service.
