Edf Renewables UK to Accelerate Uk’s Clean Energy Superpower Ambitions With Over 300 MW of Battery Storage Projects

EDF Renewables UK is currently constructing six projects that are expected to go live within the next 12 months, including a 57 MW battery in Braintree, Essex, and a 47.5 MW battery in Indian Queens, Saint Austell. A significant achievement was the recent energization of a 52 MW battery in Sundon, Bedfordshire, completed in mid-July. Additionally, Dorset Council approved planning last week for a 47.5 MW battery near Mannington in Dorset.

Altogether, these battery storage projects, totaling 313 MW, have the potential to supply enough power to meet the needs of over 400,000 homes for two hours. The new UK Government has set an ambitious goal to achieve a zero-carbon electricity system by 2030, which will require a significant expansion of renewable energy capacity. This includes tripling solar capacity to 50 GW, quadrupling offshore wind to 55 GW, and doubling onshore wind to 35 GW by the end of the decade.

Battery storage is essential for ensuring a reliable supply of clean energy, as it stores excess renewable power during peak production and releases it when needed. It is estimated that between 20-30 GW of battery storage will be needed by 2030 to meet the 2050 net-zero pathways outlined by ESO2.

Simone Sullivan, Head of Solar at EDF Renewables UK, stated: “Our upcoming project pipeline will enhance the UK’s ability to integrate more renewables and will allow the grid to be more flexible and resilient by managing electricity supply and demand.

Battery storage is crucial for improving our energy security and for meeting the government’s 2030 targets. We are driving strong momentum with our projects, helping the UK to benefit from cost-effective, clean renewable energy and a modern, flexible grid.”

These projects will add to EDF Renewables UK’s existing portfolio of more than 150 MW of battery energy storage systems already operational in Oxfordshire, Kent, and the West Midlands. Overall, EDF Renewables UK aims to deliver up to 2 GW of transmission-connected battery storage, with more than 400 MW already consented and an additional 313 MW under construction.