Developer and independent power producer (IPP) Cero Generation has connected its Larks Green solar and storage facility to the UK transmission network.
The 70MWp solar PV portion of the project was completed in April 2023, becoming the first standalone solar PV installation to be connected to the transmission network. Powering the 49.5MW/99MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), located adjacent to the solar development, makes the facility the first of its kind with a transmission link in Britain.
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”.
Marta Martinez Queimadelos, CEO of Cero Generation, who said she was “delighted” to have reached this milestone, explained: “This co-located solar and battery storage project will make it possible to supply power to the grid when is needed, linking demand and generation. The development of these projects will help reduce energy costs for households while reducing Britain’s dependence on fossil fuels.”
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 both Canadian Solar, as a leader in battery engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), and EDF, as battery performance optimization.
To connect the solar PV system to the transmission network, Cero and Enso, in collaboration with National Grid, installed new switching equipment at the site. A hA 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.
On November 11, Solar energy portal reported that National Grid had completed upgrades to its Drax 132kV substation to enable the transmission link of TagEnergy’s 100MW/200MWh BESS.
According to the renewable energy developer, the North Yorkshire facility is the largest transmission-linked battery storage system in Britain.
A connection to the high-voltage transmission system, rather than to a local distribution network, means that the energy generated at a site or discharged from a battery can be transported over greater distances.
