AECOM has been appointed by Tesla to support the delivery of one of the world’s largest battery energy storage systems (BESS) for offshore wind. Set to be installed on the same site as the onshore converter station for Ørsted’s Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm, the BESS will help provide stability to the UK energy supply.
AECOM’s appointment follows the announcement in June that Tesla will provide the BESS for Ørsted’s 2.9 GW Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm, set to be operational by the end of 2026. Intended to increase storage capacity for periods where electricity generation exceeds demand, the BESS helps to balance the grid by discharging it at a later point, when generation has fallen or demand risen.
“Offshore wind will play an important role in the UK’s energy mix and expanding renewable energy storage will be key to maximising its potential. We’re excited to be supporting Tesla in its delivery of the BESS for the Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm,” said Eloise John, Director of Energy at AECOM UK and Ireland. “The benefits this project will provide to the UK’s energy grid – addressing the intermittency of renewable energy sources, thereby increasing system stability while reducing price volatility – will help accelerate the growing adoption of these types of batteries for offshore wind and beyond. This fantastic project shows the potential of this technology at a global level and highlights the need for energy shortage as an essential component of the UK’s energy strategy for transitioning to net zero.”
AECOM is supporting Tesla on the BESS project with detailed design services for protection and control, and substation, plant and cabling systems, which is set to continue up to the end of February 2025. The battery will be installed in Swardeston, near Norwich, on the same site as the onshore substation for Hornsea 3. It will have a capacity of 600 MWh – the equivalent to the daily energy use of 80 000 UK homes – and a power rating of 300 MW.
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