EDF acquires UK’s Pivot Power to bolster battery storage pipeline

French utility EDF has acquired UK battery storage firm Pivot Power, cementing its mulit-gigawatt bid to become a market leader in Europe’s energy storage market.

EDF confirmed the transaction this morning, with Pivot becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of EDF’s renewables arm.

Pivot will immediately play a central role in EDF’s bid to deploy as much as 10GW of additional energy storage by 2035, bringing with it a 2GW+ pipeline of energy storage assets in the UK that are at various stages of planning.

Two such projects, located in Kent and Oxford and both sized at around 50MW, are expected to be commissioned towards the end of 2020. A further eight have planning consent, with another 30 set to be pursued.

Pivot’s pipeline comprises around 40 assets of around 50MW in capacity each, sized so as to comply with UK planning regulations that dictate sites larger than 50MW must proceed through the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project process which can add months and tens of thousands of pounds to the overall planning pursuit.

Pivot is also involved in a number of either high-profile or cutting-edge storage developments in the UK, deploying a battery storage system at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium before partnering with long-duration energy storage technology firm redT for a grid-connected battery hybrid said to be a world first.

Bruno Bensasson, chairman and CEO of EDF Renewables, said the acquisition stood to strengthen the company’s expertise globally, building on the company’s recent purchase of US-based PowerFlex Systems.

“Thanks to the skills developed within this specific field of electricity, the Pivot Power team will be a great addition to EDF. This is another positive step in the rollout of the Group’s Electricity Storage and Mobility Plans.”

“The acquisition of Pivot Power shows EDF is investing in a wide range of projects to deliver the huge shift to low carbon energy the UK will need to reach net zero by 2050,” Simone Rossi, CEO at EDF Energy, added.