EDF determined to play ‘major role’ in UK flexibility as it signs 50MW battery optimisation deal

By Molly Lempriere
LinkedIn
Twitter
Reddit
Facebook
Email
Gresham House’s Wickham Market battery project. Image: Gresham House (GRID).

EDF is set to optimise Gresham House Energy Storage Fund’s 50MW Wickham Market lithium-ion battery site.

The French energy giant will use its Powershift platform to optimise the asset to deliver optimal value and minimise battery degradation at the site in Suffolk, England.

Capable of storing 75MWh of energy, the site is one of the largest in the UK. The number of 50MW projects is growing however, with Gresham alone owning a number of largescale sites such as Thurcroft (50MW) and Red Scar (49MW).

In July, regulations were also changed to allow even larger storage projects, removing the limit of 50MW in England and 350MW in Wales. Already this has enabled the UK’s largest ever project to be announced, with InterGen’s 320MW battery set to dwarf others in the country.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Enjoy 12 months of exclusive analysis

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Annual digital subscription to the PV Tech Power journal
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

EDF’s Powershift platform will allow energy flow to be directed into markets such as Dynamic Containment. Launched by National Grid ESO earlier this year, the new mechanism offers prices as high as £17/MW/h, almost three times that offered for other frequency services in the UK, further making battery energy storage attractive.

Recently, EDF has signed a number of agreements with battery storage owners, including to optimise SWGT‘s 30MW utility-scale battery earlier in December. The company is also working to build up its own battery portfolio, investing in cleantech startup PowerUp to support its 10GW of storage by 2035 ambition.

Stuart Fenner, head of energy trading services at EDF, added that the UK’s transition to low-carbon technologies “will increasingly draw on the flexibility of assets such as these,” as the country works towards net zero by 2050.

“We are determined to play a major role in this market and are excited to support Gresham House from the outset with this project. This deal reinforces our commitment to helping Britain achieve net zero carbon emissions and supports our position as a leader in battery optimisation services in the UK. Our highly skilled trading teams are able to develop and execute a range of trading strategies to deliver maximum value for our clients.”

This article was originally published on fellow Solar Media Site Current, to see the original article click here.

Our publisher Solar Media will be hosting the Energy Storage Summit 2021 in an exciting new format on 23-24 February and again on 3-4 March. See the website for more details

Read Next

July 31, 2025
We look at which BESS suppliers have supplied which UK project owner-operators, with data from our Market Research colleagues.
July 25, 2025
CS Energy has said its 200MW/400MWh Greenbank battery energy storage system has started commercial operations in Queensland, Australia.
Premium
July 24, 2025
Steady price falls the past few years have made lithium-ion BESS a real contender for long-duration energy storage (LDES), and that is now reflected in global project pipelines.
July 24, 2025
On 21 July, standalone BESS and solar-plus-storage each achieved new generation records in Western Australia’s SWIS.
July 23, 2025
Activity in the UK battery energy storage system (BESS) market continues to grow substantially year-on-year despite numerous headwinds, as detailed in this H1 recap from our Market Research colleagues.

Most Popular

Email Newsletter