Investor Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners has acquired exclusive project development rights for a 230MW/460MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Wales, UK.
The BESS will be located at the site of the former Uskmouth coal fired power station in south Wales, which closed in 2015, and will utilise existing power transmission infrastructure including its 230MW grid connection. The development includes a modification of the grid connection agreement and a planning application to be determined by the local Newport City council.
The project development rights were acquired from Simec Atlantis Energy and the BESS is expected to come online towards the end of 2024. Quinbrook has partnered with storage optimiser Energy Optimisation Solutions (EOS) in the origination and development of the project.
Quinbrook and EOS are jointly undertaking the design and development phases of Project Uskmouth with Quinbrook affiliate Private Energy Partners leading equipment procurement, construction and operational management.
Habitat Energy, a battery storage optimiser which was acquired by Quinbrook late last year, will be engaged to optimise the Uskmouth assets when operational.
Quinbrook’s policy is to prioritise the use of local contractors and specialists during construction works and, where possible, the project will utilise the existing railway access for logistical requirements in order to minimise local impacts from construction activities.
Rory Quinlan, co-founder and managing partner of Quinbrook, said: “If the UK power system is to meet its 2030 renewables targets (of 95% decarbonised power generation), battery storage will need to increase significantly to address urgent stability and flexibility requirements.”
“Almost 10% of UK grid capacity is expected to be provided by battery storage by 2030, representing an estimated £20 billion (US$24.5 billion) of new capital investment. Project Uskmouth is a timely example of how specialist energy infrastructure investors like Quinbrook can identify new opportunities of substantial scale and positive impact arising from the energy transition.”
The project’s two-hour duration is indicative of a wider trend in the UK BESS market to move past one-hour systems, driven primarily by a shift to merchant, wholesale energy trading revenues and away from solely providing grid frequency response services.
Recent examples, covered by Energy-Storage.news’ sister site Solar Power Portal include TagEnergy and Harmony Energy’s Chapel Farm BESS and Amp Energy’s 400MW/800MWh Scottish Green Battery Complex.