Bus Operator First Bus has launched its largest energy storage facility in Hampshire.
Located in the company’s Hoeford bus depot, the 1MW battery storage unit, with a duration of 2 hours, starts with the activities next month.
This is followed by a larger battery storage unit with 2MW/4MWH capacity in the depot in Aberdeen, which will work towards the end of the year.
The FirstGroup Division said it will explore opportunities to build more battery sites in the United Kingdom in the future.
The new battery storage facilities will be used to store excess electricity that is distributed to the grid during peak demand and helps to maintain the feeds. It will also be used to provide power to the more than 1,200 electric bus fleet of the company.
In addition, as soon as the batteries of the bus fleet have reached the end of the lifespan for use in vehicles, they are removed and used for power storage, giving them a second life.
According to the company, the plan to develop battery storage locations will offer the Hoeford depot space for nearly three bus batteries with the potential to save 1 MW of power.
FirstGroup Energy invests in Palmer Energy Technology
The announcement comes as First Group Energy, a subsidiary of FirstGroup, has invested in Bess -manufacturer Palmer Energy Technology (PETL) and joins other investors such as Banking Company Barclays of Oxford University. PETL was founded by a former Aston Martin CEO and Nissan Chief Operating Officer, Andy Palmer.
“With buses in the forefront of the transition to electric vehicles and net-no-transport, I am delighted to welcome investments from FirstGroup Energy LTD, as well as Barclays and Oxford University, to promote the development of the following generation. This allows us to accelerate our company and the VK’s Technology Technology.
Updated on 29.08.25 at 14:10 to include the size of the Aberdeen project and the duration of the Hampshire battery storage unit.
