A consultancy contract for a 250MW pumped hydro energy storage plant in Dubai has been awarded to French power company EDF by the emirate’s main public infrastructure company.

EDF Renewable Energy has created a new business unit, Distributed Electricity and Storage (DES), which will focus on distributed solar and storage projects up to 30MW.

Nidec ASI has been selected as supplier of batteries to a 49MW energy storage project in the UK by EDF, which will help balance the grid and generate revenues until at least 2035.

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has signed a cooperation agreement with the renewables arm of major French utility EDF to share expertise and experience in areas including energy storage, renewables, EV chargers and energy system integration.

Around 90 companies, including EDF, Enel and Engie, have expressed interest in financing and implementing research and development (R&D) projects relating to energy storage integration in Brazil, according the country’s energy regulator ANEEL.

Reports that a grid operator in France has found battery-based energy storage “too costly” to be used to integrate renewable energy have been criticised by a spokesman for energy storage developer Younicos.