Teesworks, the UK’s largest industrial zone, has unveiled plans for a 1GW battery energy storage system (BESS) in partnership with renewables developer NatPower.
The project will be built across 50 hectares of the Long Acres portion of the 4,500 hectare Teesworks site. Construction costs are expected to be around £1 billion. While the main plan for the BESS focuses on renewable energy storage, the company also noted that the system could also support electric vehicle (EV) charging in the future.
In a LinkedIn post announcing the development, Teesworks development director Matt Johnson said: “This agreement is a fantastic vote of confidence in Teesworks and our mission to promote renewable energy in the Tees Valley.”
Boosting BESS in Great Britain
The shift to renewable energy creates the need for more adaptive and flexible grid systems, and BESS is becoming an increasingly important part of this transition. The pipeline for BESS projects has increased by two-thirds over the past twelve months, marking the second consecutive twelve-month period in which the pipeline has increased by this amount.
Last week, Atlantic Green signed a deal worth almost £200 million with Ameresco and Envision Energy to build and develop a new 300MW BESS in the West Midlands, with construction expected to start later this year.
Statera Energy is also taking steps on the ground, having recently submitted planning permission to South Oxfordshire District Council for a 500MW BESS at Culham Campus, having previously secured planning permission for a 290MW BESS at Exeter.
The Gresham House Energy Storage Fund has also increased its capacity and recently powered a 50MW BESS in Lancashire. With this new installation, Gresham House Energy Storage Fund now has an operational capacity of 790MW.
Financial investments in BESS are also increasing. The Gore Street Energy Storage Fund recently announced that its turnover grew by 5% to £41.4 million in the twelve months to March 31, 2024. Over the same period, the fund’s operating capacity also grew by 45%, to 421, 4 MW of power. capacity.
Meanwhile, Aura Power recently secured £10 million in funding from Novuna Business Finance to advance its global development pipeline, including an upcoming BESS project in Capenhurst, Cheshire.
