IPP Statera Energy and developer Carlton Power have entered into an agreement that will allow Statera Energy to build a 680 MW battery energy storage system (BESS).
Carlton Power has entered into a leasehold agreement with Statera for the land on which the 680 MW BESS will be located. The project is part of the Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park, which is located on the former site of a coal-fired power station eight miles south-west of Manchester.
In 2023, Carlton Power was granted planning permission to develop up to 2 GW BESS at the site, and now Statera Energy will move forward with plans to build a 680 MW BESS there.
The 680 MW Carrington Storage proposal is Statera Energy’s largest approved BESS project to date, and once fully energized in 2026, it is expected to be one of the largest BESS developments in Europe. Statera Energy currently has 1 GW of UK BESS projects, operational or under construction, and as of this announcement has an approved 1370 MW BESS pipeline.
Carlton Power has several other developments planned for the 12-acre Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park, including an agreement for Highview Power to build a £300 million liquid air energy storage (LAES) project on site. In 2022, Carlton Power was granted planning permission for a green hydrogen production facility of up to 200 MW, which has been awarded a financial support contract by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). The first 15MW phase of the Trafford Green Hydrogen facility is planned to be commissioned within the next two years.
Keith Clarke, CEO of Carlton Power, said: “Our agreement with Statera Energy is a further step in the development of the Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park. Trafford will become a beacon for low-carbon energy in the North West of England, strengthening the security and resilience of the region’s energy system and further supporting the region’s energy transition.”
“The investment in the Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park over the next two to five years demonstrates Carlton Power’s long-term vision and commitment to the Trafford site, and we are actively exploring further options to fully realize the strategic benefits of the Trafford facility.”
Statera on the rise
The newly acquired Carrington Storage project is more than twice the size of Statera’s upcoming Thurrock Storage project, a 300 MW/600 MWh BESS development combined with a 450 MW flexible gas generation development.
In November last year, Statera Energy announced it had reached financial close on the Essex-based Thurrock project, thanks to a £395 million financing package from a syndicate of major banks. Some of the household names involved in the deal include Lloyds Bank, which acted as the structuring bank for the deal, alongside Natixis, NatWest, Santander, SEB and Siemens Financial Services through Siemens Bank. This follows a previous £144 million debt financing deal concluded in November 2023 in the form of a term loan, VAT facility and liquidity facility.
Construction of the Thurrock project is currently underway and the project is expected to supply energy to the UK electricity grid early this year.
Statera Energy also achieved a major planning win in August 2024, when the company was granted planning permission for a 400 MW/2.4 GWh BESS project in Weymouth, Devon. Despite local controversy and concerns about the potential fire risk, the project was approved by a vote of six to two at a Dorset council meeting.
