An industrial-scale battery site, run by E. ON, will be opened in Sheffield, UK. According to the E. ON, the facility has the capacity of 10MW (one of the biggest in the UK). The potential of energy storage has been also recognized by other leading energy companies, including Centrica, the parent company of British Gas, which is building a 49MW storage facility in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, and EDF Energy, that is currently working on a storage facility of the same size.

The UK successfully pursued its transition to a low carbon economy; between April and June 2017, renewables provided for almost 30% of the electricity produced in the UK (BEIS). However, increasing deployment of intermittent sources of energy and their grid penetration poses a significant challenge for keeping the frequency of electricity constant at 50Hz across the UK.

The utility-scale batteries may play an essential role in managing the national grid system by keeping supply and demand for electricity balanced. Concerns arising from the deployment of intermittent sources were emphasized by National Grid, the owner of Britain’s power transmission network. The intermittency issue may be addressed by storing electricity from wind farms, nuclear power plants, and gas power stations. The success of industrial-scale battery sites may unlock the full potential of renewable energy sources.

The gLAWcal Team