Battery Energy Storage System (Bess) Developer/Operator Zenobē has announced that it has successfully funded its Eccles Bess project in Scotland, in one of the greatest financial rounds in European history.
The total debt for the 400 MW/800MWH project was £ 220 million, which, according to the company, is one of the biggest financial increases for a standing Bess project that was once made in Europe. The financing was provided by a group of lenders organized by National Westminster Bank and KKR Capital Markets Partners LLP. Moreover, Zenobē has announced that the construction of the Eccles Bess – the largest battery project in the company so far – has begun.
The Eccles Bess is the last part of the investment of £ 750 million from the company in Scotland. Blackhillock Bess from Zenobē, a project of 200 MW/400MWH near Inverness, recently started commercial activities and will expand to 300 MW/600MW later this year.
The Blackhillock Bess, the largest operational Bess project in Europe according to the company, has also become the first transmission -connected battery in the world that provides stability services to the National Energy System Operator (NESO), and was also the first project that was delivered under the Network Options Assessment (NOA) Stability Pathfinder program.
The Stability Pathfinder program is made to help Neso decide where investments in strengthening the grid should be aimed to support the development of services that support important system services such as slowness.
In addition, the 300 MW/600 MW Kilamarnoch South Battery project of the company will go live in 2026, and both projects will work alongside Zenobē’s 50mw/100mWh Wishaw Bess, which is now operational. These four projects have a total capacity of more than 1 GW.
James Basden, co-founder and director of Zenobē, added: “Although the National Energy System Operator (NESO) enter into a positive enter into with the sector, we have to move faster. It is of vital importance that Neso, ofmem and the government work to work in Britain.
