UK battery projects secure consent as China connects record storage

A series of significant developments in the energy storage sector have emerged across the United Kingdom and internationally, marked by new planning consents, construction milestones and major acquisitions. In the UK, several battery energy storage systems have advanced through the planning process or broken ground, while in China, a record-breaking grid-forming battery facility has been connected to the national grid. These moves underscore the accelerating pace of deployment for large-scale storage infrastructure aimed at supporting renewable energy integration and grid stability.

In a notable operational development, Arenko has been selected to deploy its Nimbus asset management platform at the Iceni battery energy storage project in the UK. The 300 MW/600 MWh facility is a component of the wider Hornsea 3 offshore wind project, which has a total capacity of 2.6 GW. The Iceni project is designed as the world’s first utility-scale battery directly integrated with offshore transmission. It will share transmission infrastructure and onshore grid connection with the Allocation Round 4 winning project located 160 km off the Yorkshire coast. Arenko stated that the deployment is expected to improve the utilisation of existing grid infrastructure and enable closer coordination between offshore wind generation and battery storage. The Nimbus platform will oversee battery optimisation, asset management and trading, facilitating real-time decision-making and capacity allocation. Arenko chief executive Rupert Newland noted that the combination of a utility-scale battery with one of the UK’s largest offshore wind farms creates significant opportunities while introducing operational and trading complexities that require advanced optimisation and automation. The platform has already been selected across 14 colocation projects, managing a total of 1.2 GW worth of utility-scale assets across the UK, Europe and the US.

Planning authorities in Ireland and the UK have also approved new storage and renewable energy schemes. Mayo County Council awarded planning consent to SSE for its revised Mullafarry battery energy storage project in Ireland. The site is located in Killala Business Park, adjacent to the SSE 104 MW Tawnaghmore power station. The approved scheme comprises 64 battery storage units with an 80 MW/320 MWh system, capable of storing four hours of capacity. SSE head of battery development Ghislain Demeuldre welcomed the decision, stating that the project could help support a more secure, affordable and homegrown electricity system for Ireland by storing electricity when supplies are high and making it available when needed. The plans are now subject to a final investment decision by SSE.

In the UK, Statkraft secured planning consent for the Trerice Solar Farm in St Dennis, Cornwall, following a successful planning appeal. The consented scheme includes a 32 MW solar farm, a 45 MW battery energy storage system and associated infrastructure. The project is expected to generate enough renewable electricity annually to power the equivalent of over 10,000 homes. Statkraft solar project manager Harry Venables said the farm will mean more home-grown power on Great Britain’s grid network, helping to achieve greater energy security and reduce reliance on expensive and volatile overseas gas supplies. The site was chosen for its potential to deliver renewable electricity to the grid, helping meet national and local renewable energy targets. Statkraft’s proposals were informed by extensive surveys and two periods of public consultation. The project aims to deliver improvements to biodiversity across the site, more than 1.4 km of new permissive footpaths, and opportunities for local businesses and suppliers during the construction phase. It is also expected to generate an estimated £1.6m in business rates for Cornwall Council over the project’s 40-year operational lifespan.

Construction has also commenced on OnPath Energy’s first co-located solar and battery energy storage site in South Yorkshire. The developer has begun work on the 49 MW Common Farm Solar Park and the 50 MW co-located battery energy storage system at the site in Dinnington. Progress to date includes piling, cable trenching, access roads, and fencing for the solar element, as well as foundations and drainage for the battery storage system. Operations are due by mid-2027. OnPath Energy managing quantity surveyor Chris Gallagher said work at the site is progressing well and that the project will further enhance the company’s contribution by generating homegrown energy, reducing the UK’s dependence on imported fossil fuels and strengthening the UK’s energy security.

In the investment sector, NextEnergy Capital announced that its private funding arm, NextEnergy UK I, has acquired a portfolio of operational battery energy storage projects totalling 107 MW across the south east of England. The acquisition includes three standalone operational assets: a 40 MW site in Maldon, a 28 MW site in Basildon and a 39 MW site in Loudwater. NextEnergy Capital stated that the sites are close to major demand centres and key grid infrastructure, positioning the assets to benefit from the increasing flexibility requirements of the UK electricity system. All three assets are fully operational and benefit from long-term Capacity Market contracts. The acquisition brings NextEnergy UK I’s total battery energy storage capacity to 165 MW. It follows the fund’s final close at £733m in commitments across the battery energy storage landscape. Since its launch, the fund has built and acquired a 1 GW portfolio of UK-based energy assets. NextEnergy Capital chief investment officer Ross Grier said the acquisition represents an important milestone for the fund, further advancing its investment strategy through the addition of high-quality operational battery energy storage assets that complement its existing solar and storage investments.

Internationally, China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has connected a 1 GW/4 GWh battery energy storage project, setting a new benchmark for grid-forming storage. The Lithium Iron Phosphate project, located near Mandulatu, came online successfully on its first attempt in August. The developer, Wanbang Digital Energy, invested approximately CNY 3 billion (£329 million) in the project, which spans 28 hectares. The four-hour battery storage plant is expected to discharge around 1 TWh of electricity annually. Unlike conventional grid-following inverters, which rely on an existing voltage and frequency reference, grid-forming inverters can establish and maintain those references themselves. Such systems can provide voltage and frequency support and improve the stability of grids with high penetrations of inverter-based wind and solar generation. Grid-forming resources can also be designed to support black-start operation following a major grid outage.