Battery storage submissions for forthcoming Capacity Market auctions in the UK have dwindled, with demand side response emerging as the clean technology of choice.

At 4:52pm on Friday 9 August 2019, the UK suffered its first wide-scale blackout in more than a decade. More than 1.1 million consumers were plunged into the dark as rail lines screeched to a halt, traffic lights failed and even airports reported problems. Liam Stoker looks at the root causes, and how battery storage came to the rescue.

The European Commission has approved Britain’s Capacity Market scheme following an in-depth investigation into its state aid compliance.

60MW of energy storage developed by Fluence and Sembcorp Energy UK has come online, lauded as one of the largest transacted fleets of its kind in Europe.

UK investment management firm Gresham House has confirmed it is to launch a fresh fund raising drive as it sets its sights on a new, 182MW pipeline of battery storage projects.

Topics previously off-limits due to commercial sensitivity or just a lack of experience from the field, were explored in depth at this year’s Energy Storage Summit in London.

Long duration flow battery manufacturer CellCube will bring its large-scale vanadium redox flow systems to the UK, with the country’s Capacity Market firmly in its sights, according to Immersa, which the Canadian energy storage company has signed up to partner with.

National Grid has outlined how renewables could participate in the UK’s Capacity Market, unveiling technology-specific de-rating factors that range from 1–15%.

Centrica has formally announced the completion of its 49MW Roosecote battery storage project, 18 months after construction started.

The UK government is seeking the “most rapid and effective path” towards a potential re-opening of the Capacity Market (CM), but has failed to determine the consequences if a negative decision is forthcoming.