Renewable energy developer RES has won an asset management contract for a 70MW solar plus storage project near Bristol.
RES already provides operation and maintenance services to the solar power plant and has been the asset manager for about a year. It will now also manage the battery energy storage system (BESS) to monitor operational performance.
The Larks Green project, owned by developer and independent power producer (IPP) Cero Generation, became the first of its kind to be connected to the transmission network in Britain, the company claimed.
Larks Green includes 70 MW of solar PV generation and a 49.5 MW/99 MWh co-located battery energy storage system (BESS). The project has a 120MW grid connection, which acts as a commercial manager Patrick O’Connor told it Energy storage.newsmeans “the BESS does not compete with solar energy for export capacity”.
Robert Mattholie, Head of Solar and Storage Asset Management, Northern Europe at RES, said: “As Britain accelerates its shift to net zero, projects like Larks Green underline the importance of integrating advanced technologies with experienced partners to deliver sustainable energy to deliver. solutions.
“This project demonstrates the potential of co-located renewable energy and storage systems to boost Britain’s energy resilience. We are excited to work with Cero Generation to ensure Larks Green operates efficiently and reliably and sets a benchmark for the future of renewable energy infrastructure.”
Rabobank financed both the BESS and the solar PV elements. Cero Generation and its UK development partner Enso Energy said work on the project has established long-term partnerships with Canadian Solar, the battery engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) leader, and EDF, the battery performance optimiser.
To connect the solar PV installation to the transmission network, Cero and Enso, in collaboration with National Grid, installed new switchgear at the site. A high-voltage cable also connected the solar farm to the Iron Acton substation near Bristol.
The Enso-Cero partnership was originally signed between Enso and Macquarie’s Green Investment Group (GIG), before GIG launched Cero and consolidated its existing and future European solar business, including the UK pipeline, into the new developer.
