The UK’s first grid-scale battery storage system to be directly connected to the transmission network has begun operating in Oxford.
The 50MW lithium-ion battery system is connected to Cowley substation on the outskirts of the city and has been built as part of the £41 million Energy Superhub Oxford project led by Pivot Power.
The installation will help to supply power to a series of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations via an 8-kilometre-long private wire network running around the south of Oxford, starting with a public charging hub at the Redbridge Park and Ride that will feature 38 fast and ultrafast chargers.
It is the first part of what will become the world’s largest hybrid battery system when combined with a vanadium redox flow battery provided by Invinity Energy Systems that is due to become operational later this year.
The lithium-ion portion has been installed by Wartsila, whose GEMS energy management platform will be used monitor and control the hybrid system. Trading and revenue generation will be optimised using Habitat Energy’s PowerIQ software.
As well as supplying electricity to the EV charging stations, the batteries will also be traded on the day-ahead and intraday markets and provide balancing and ancillary services, including National Grid Electricity System Operator’s new Dynamic Containment frequency response service.
The project will provide a blueprint for a series of 40 EV charging hubs that Pivot Power – a subsidiary of EDF Renewables – plans to build around the country, all with co-located batteries connected to the transmission network.
Its chief executive Matt Allen said: “This is the first grid-scale battery to directly connect to the transmission network in the UK and represents a key milestone for the completion of Energy Superhub Oxford and our mission to accelerate the UK towards net zero.
“We are planning up to 40 similar sites throughout the country, totalling up to 2GW of battery storage – forming a key pillar of EDF’s plan to develop an additional 10GW of battery storage globally by 2035.”
Pekka Tolonen, energy business director for Europe at Wartsila, said: “Grid flexibility and energy storage are essential to ensure the UK can hit its ambitious net zero targets in a cost-effective, sustainable and resilient way.
“Our GEMS platform enables Energy Superhub Oxford’s energy storage system to operate in a truly dynamic way, responding to the demands of the market and improving power reliability. We believe this unique collaboration is a blueprint for the use of energy storage throughout the UK and Europe.”
Andrew Luers, co-founder and chief executive of Habitat Energy, added: “It has been our pleasure working with Pivot Power and the other partners in this project, and we are delighted to see it now become a reality.
“Habitat Energy’s PowerIQ optimisation software and expert trading team are delivering exceptional revenue generation from battery storage assets across the UK, and soon also in Australia and other countries.
“We are excited to further demonstrate our capability on this, our first transmission-connected system, and shortly also on the long-duration redox flow battery.”