A 100MW battery storage project in the UK connected to National Grid’s transmission network has gone online, developed by Pacific Green on the former site of a coal plant.
UK transmission system operator (TSO) National Grid has plugged in the 100MW/100MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) project to its 400kV Richborough substation.
The project, dubbed the Richborough Energy Park battery, is owned by asset manager Sosteneo Infrastructure Partners which acquired it from developer Pacific Green in July 2023, as reported by our sister site Solar Power Portal.
Most BESS projects in the UK connect into the lower-voltage networks run by distribution network operators (DNOs) rather than National Grid’s high-voltage network. Benefits of the latter include a more reliable connection and better visibility in National Grid control rooms.
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One of the first UK developers to opt for transmission-connected BESS projects was Pivot Power, which was acquired by EDF Renewables.
The BESS project was built on a brownfield site which previously occupied a coal-fired power station. As Energy-Storage.news has previously written, building renewables on sites formerly housing legacy power plants allows for the use of existing grid capacity.
Richborough substation hosts the connection for National Grid own 1GW Nemo Link interconnector with Belgium while the 300MW Thanet Offshore Wind Farm also connects into an adjacent substation on the wider Richborough Energy Park site.
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