Renewable energy developer TagEnergy has energised what it claims is the UK’s largest transmission-connected battery energy storage system (BESS): the 100MW/200MWh Lakeside project in North Yorkshire.
Situated in Drax, a village west of the Humber tidal estuary on the Northeast coast of England, the 2-hour duration project is on the transmission network, enabling it to secure a connection to the national grid with reduced charges. Construction commenced on the Lakeside project in August 2023.
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The BESS project is 100% owned by TagEnergy and received support from technology provider Tesla, optimiser Habitat Energy, and independent renewables company RES Group. In December 2021, TagEnergy secured a 100% stake in the Lakeside project from RES in a deal worth £65 million (US$85 million), as reported by our sister site Solar Power Portal.
Tesla, the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for Lakeside, provided a Tesla Megapack 2XL lithium-ion battery system. Habitat Energy supported the project as the route-to-market partner and battery optimiser, with independent renewable energy company RES as asset manager.
TagEnergy has a standing relationship with Tesla, with the technology giant providing its Megapack lithium-ion batteries and Autobidder AI software for the 49MW/98MWh Jamesfield BESS in Scotland. The project is co-owned by TagEnergy and developer Harmony Energy via a joint venture.
Tesla had also been contracted to supply its Megapack 2XL battery systems for TagEnergy’s 49.9MW/99.8MWh Pitkevy facility in Fife, Scotland. Financial close on the project was achieved in February 2024.
Franck Woitiez, CEO of TagEnergy, emphasised that the Lakeside BESS will be the UK’s largest transmission-connected BESS “for a while”, signalling that it is an important project that “moves the needle for the energy transition”.
Development at the BESS project has been aided by a debt package worth up to £70 million, provided by lenders Santander, Rabobank, and Triple Point. The package also includes an uncommitted accordion facility to potentially incorporate further assets into the funding structure.
Elsewhere in the British energy storage market, developer Apatura gained planning consent for Scotland’s largest standalone BESS last month.
The 700MW Aunchetiber BESS will be situated on around 16.39 hectares of land near Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, with permission secured for the construction of 240 BESS units, 140 BESS transformers, 280 BESS inverters, three 33kV switchrooms, 400kV control building, and a 400kV to 33kV transformer compound.
