UK BESS: Innova green light for 800MWh unit, Banks sells 2.9GWh project

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Developers Innova and Banks Renewables have progressed two large-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) projects in the UK totalling 3.7GWh of capacity.

Innova announced the planning approval from Cumberland council for the 400MW/800MWh Blackdyke Farm Energy Storage Project yesterday (9 October), the same day Banks sold the 2.9GWh Thorpe Marsh Green Energy BESS project in South Yorkshire to West Burton Energy.

Blackdyke is the first of Innova’s portfolio of transmission system-connected energy storage projects to be fully consented to. Though Innova did not say when construction would start, it needs to begin within three years of the decision.

“This is the first in a total of 26 transmission connections Innova are developing which, subject to planning, will bring a further 23GW of energy projects to the UK in the next decade and play a significant role in decarbonising our energy system,” said Ryan Adams, managing director of Innova Renewables Development.

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Banks Renewables sale of the Thorpe Marsh BESS to West Burton Energy meanwhile came just days after parent company Banks Group sold it to global investor Brookfield.

West Burton Energy will now take the project on through the planning process, construction and into operations, although a timeline was not revealed in the announcement.

See the full version of this article on Solar Power Portal.

Energy-Storage.news’ publisher Solar Media will host the 9th annual Energy Storage Summit EU in London, 21-22 February 2024. This year it is moving to a larger venue, bringing together Europe’s leading investors, policymakers, developers, utilities, energy buyers and service providers all in one place. Visit the official site for more info.

13 October 2026
London, UK
Now in its second edition, the Summit provides a dedicated platform for UK & Ireland’s BESS community to share practical insights on performance, degradation, safety, market design and optimisation strategies. As storage deployment accelerates towards 2030 targets, attendees gain the tools needed to enhance returns and operate resilient, efficient assets.

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