BlackRock Real Assets and KX Power sign joint venture
Published by Abi Larkin,
Editorial Assistant
Energy Global,
KX Power (KXP), a London-based battery storage developer, has announced it is signing a joint venture with BlackRock Real Assets to develop, build, and operate battery storage projects across the UK. The investment is being made by the BlackRock Global Renewable Power III (GRP III) fund and will support the build out of up to 2 GWh of battery storage assets across the UK.
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) assets’ capacity to resolve the intermittency of natural resources, such as wind or solar power, makes them complementary to other forms of renewable energy infrastructure, and integral to accelerating the rollout of homegrown renewable energy across the UK, in line with the country’s 2050 net zero strategy. BlackRock’s initial commitment to the joint venture will enable the buildout of enough renewable energy projects to power over 2 million homes annually, and to remove 16 million t of CO2 over the lifetime of the projects.
This investment is GRP III’s first into the UK’s battery storage market, and brings together BlackRock’s infrastructure expertise and KXP’s extensive experience developing BESS assets to create a portfolio of advanced energy storage systems supporting the UK’s energy transition, and in tandem, increased energy security.
David Giordano, Managing Director, Global Head of Renewable Power at BlackRock, commented: “GRP III invests in the climate infrastructure of the future. With our joint venture investment in KXP, we are delighted to be driving the development and expansion of the UK’s battery storage market. On behalf of our clients, we see vast opportunity in the development of a sophisticated network of battery storage assets across the UK and in other regions across the globe to facilitate the transition towards a green energy future.”
BlackRock’s Global Renewable Power platform has invested in over 400 wind, solar, and other climate infrastructure projects across 17 countries in four continents. The Global Renewable Power team consists of 66 professionals, with an average of over 20 years of investment and technical expertise. The team now manages over US$9.7 billion of client capital, with an emphasis on globally diversified portfolios, measurable climate impact, and differentiated sourcing.
Dr Zhe Zhang, CEO of KXP, commented: “Our mission is to enable more and more adoption of UK homegrown green power, as embraced by the UK Administration’s net zero strategy and by local councils. Combining KXP’s on-the-ground project development skills and power trading expertise with BlackRock’s knowledge and track record in climate infrastructure, I am certain KXP will become a significant player in the renewable energy market in the UK. Today’s investment is a testament to investors’ strong appetite for renewable energy, and accelerates the UK’s growth towards innovative, sustainable, and inclusive energy.”
For more news and technical articles from the global renewable industry, read the latest issue of Energy Global magazine.
Energy Global's Spring 2022 issue
The Spring 2022 issue of Energy Global includes a range of technical articles on energy storage, wind, solar, waste-to-energy, and more. In addition, this issue also features a regional report on the renewable energy market in Asia.
Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/energy-storage/14062022/blackrock-real-assets-and-kx-power-sign-joint-venture/
You might also like
SBM Offshore and Technip Energies sign partnership agreement to form EkWiL
SBM Offshore and Technip Energies have signed a memorandum of understanding for the creation of a floating offshore wind joint venture entity, EkWiL.