EDF signs battery optimisation deals as NWF backs Nexeon

EDF has entered into two battery optimisation agreements with Trinasolar International Solution Business Unit, covering a portfolio of new grid-scale battery energy storage projects located in England and Scotland. Under the arrangements, EDF will manage the assets through its digital trading and optimisation system to support the national energy transition. The agreements encompass two specific sites: the 40MW/80MWh Ruby BESS project near Aberdeen, which is scheduled to become operational in October this year, and the Chatterley BESS project in Gloucestershire, a 49.9MW/99.8MWh asset expected to reach commercial operation in March 2027. Both projects are designed with a two-hour storage duration. Stuart Fenner, EDF commercial director of business and wholesale services, stated that flexible assets such as battery storage are becoming increasingly important for maintaining system stability as renewable generation and electrification continue to grow. He added that the company is working with Trinasolar ISBU to optimise both projects and help unlock the flexibility needed to support Britain’s transition to a low carbon, electrified energy system.

In a separate development, advanced silicon-based materials firm Nexeon has secured a £100 million investment round, including backing from the National Wealth Fund. The National Wealth Fund committed £52.6 million to the funding round, which also attracted investment from the Korea Development Bank and Honda Xcelerator Ventures. Nexeon intends to use the capital to expand its domestic operations, strengthen the UK’s battery supply chain, create jobs, and boost growth. The company’s silicon anode materials enable the production of higher energy density lithium-ion batteries. The National Wealth Fund’s financing will specifically support the development of a UK-based pilot manufacturing facility, directly aiding research and development activities and allowing the expansion of its advanced manufacturing technology unit. Chancellor John Healey commented that the government must be serious about backing British businesses with conditions for them to start, scale, and succeed in the UK. Dr Scott Brown, Nexeon chief executive, described the investment as a strong endorsement of the company’s technology and its role in enabling the next generation of lithium-ion batteries, noting that the support reflects the strategic importance of strengthening the UK’s position in the global battery supply chain.

Metlen Energy has also advanced its battery storage ambitions by signing a balance of plant contract with Pulse Clean Energy for the 129MW Penn BESS site in Wolverhampton. With an installed capacity of 362MWh, this will become the largest project in Metlen’s UK portfolio, which now includes nearly 30 projects with a total combined capacity nearing 2GWh. The contract covers all supporting components, infrastructure, and grid connection. Pulse Clean Energy, which was acquired by Investment Management Corporation of Ontario in 2023, has 400MWh of storage fleets operational and a further 400MWh under construction. The Penn site, originally planned as a two-hour system, was reconfigured to a 2.4-hour duration, increasing capacity from 310MWh to 362MWh, and is expected to be energised in 2027.

Internationally, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners has acquired the Gawara Baya hybrid onshore wind farm and battery energy storage system in North Queensland, Australia. The firm has made a final investment decision and reached financial close, securing an AUD 1.7 billion facility through 10 banks. Construction will commence, with the project expected to be fully operational in 2030. Gawara Baya combines a 408MW onshore wind farm with a 104MW battery storage system, featuring 68 wind turbines. The project has the capacity to provide clean power to up to 240,000 Australian homes and is expected to avoid 1.2 million tonnes of carbon emissions from the energy sector annually. It has secured long-term energy offtake arrangements with Stanwell and SmartestEnergy, alongside participation in the Australian Government’s Capacity Investment Scheme. Thomas Wibe Poulsen, a partner at Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, stated that the acquisition represents a unique opportunity to deploy significant near-term capital from the firm’s fifth flagship fund to deliver critical energy infrastructure for Australians.

Gresham House Energy Storage Fund recorded a 9.5 per cent increase in revenue in its latest half-year performance, posting £34.7 million despite certain assets being offline for scheduled augmentation works. The fund’s chair, John Leggate CBE, noted that the first half of 2026 marked the transition of the Growth Plan from preparation to execution. In six months, the fund acquired or conditionally acquired over 1GW of new capacity, fully funded the first three projects totalling 397MW, and progressed those projects to construction. The first three pipeline projects, Cockenzie, Monets Garden, and Elland 2, reached financial close in May 2026. Construction is under way, with target energisation in the second half of 2027 for Monets Garden and Elland 2, and the first half of 2028 for Cockenzie. An additional 777MW of new projects were conditionally acquired in May 2026, meaning the total new projects will more than double the operational capacity of the company’s portfolio. The Alternative Revenues trial, launched in December 2025, has significantly exceeded expectations and has finalised a contract with a route-to-market provider to scale up capacity to at least 20MW by the end of 2026. On 26 June 2026, Ofgem provisionally included Ocker Hill in its list of projects set to receive 25-year cap and floor contracts under the UK Government’s LDES scheme, for a 145MW/1,160MWh eight-hour configuration.