EDF and Elements Green agree long-term deal to support battery project

Scheduled to be operational in 2027, Staythorpe will be one of the largest battery storage projects in the UK, providing critical flexibility to balance supply and demand, and enabling the integration of more renewable power into the grid. When operational, it will have the capacity to power over 95 000 homes for a full day.

Under the agreement, EDF’s Wholesale Market Services team will guarantee a minimum level of income from grid balancing, alongside the project’s 15-year capacity market contract.

This gives the project greater financial certainty and supports investment in the infrastructure needed for Britain’s shift to a low-carbon energy system. The EDF team will also operate the battery through EDF’s Powershift platform, making sure it earns the best possible return from available market opportunities.

Elements Green recently reached financial close on a £140?million unitranche debt facility, provided by Goldman Sachs Alternatives, for the Staythorpe BESS. This milestone paves the way for full construction and energisation of the site, which will strengthen the UK’s energy system, deliver biodiversity enhancements, support community initiatives, and create skilled local employment.

Stuart Fenner, Director of Wholesale Market Services at EDF, responded: “Staythorpe is not just another project. It is a major step in building the reliable, secure, low carbon power system Britain needs. Large scale storage is essential to make the most of renewable energy, and with Elements Green we are giving this project the certainty and capability to deliver lasting value and real progress towards net zero.”

James Gates, CIO at Elements Green, added: “Staythorpe is exactly the kind of large-scale project that can make a meaningful impact on the UK’s energy system. Its location next to a major National Grid substation makes it ideally suited for better storage at scale, and partnering with EDF ensures we have the commercial framework in place to deliver reliable performance for decades to come.”

EDF is the UK’s biggest generator of low carbon electricity and a leading provider of battery optimisation and trading services. With over 950 MW of battery storage now under contract in Great Britain, the company continues to work with developers, investors and the grid to build a more flexible, resilient, and low carbon energy system.

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