Zenobe acquires battery storage site from Innova

The site has a 2028 connection date, and the acquisition demonstrates Zenobe’s continuing commitment to help deliver on the UK’s ambitious goal of having 25 GW of BESS capacity by 2030, up from 6 GW today. This acquisition aligns with Zenobe’s strategy to focus on transmission connected assets with over 200 MW capacity and was enabled following the government’s decision to continue with a national rather than a zonal approach to electricity pricing.

Innova has been developing the site since 2022 and achieved planning consent for the project in October 2023. The transaction was advised by JLL, who also acted as financial advisor to Innova alongside TLT and Foot Anstey as legal advisors. Zenobe was supported by Pinsent Masons and Natural Power on the legal and technical aspects of the project respectively.

The Harker substation location is key for power flows and solving locational constraints, ultimately reducing costs for consumers. The Harker project will have the capability to provide inertia and reactive power services which are required to help manage the network in the region following the retirement of plants such as the Heysham nuclear power station.

In addition to enhancing the security of the network, the project has committed, in-line with Innova’s Community Promise, to a series of community and charitable benefit schemes designed to support local organisations and initiatives. These arrangements which will now be delivered by Zenobe, involve Rockcliffe and Westlinton Parish Councils, Rockcliffe Community Centre, and The Country Trust. The funding is intended to contribute to community wellbeing and charitable objectives over the life of the project.

Zenobe is following its strategy of developing, owning and operating transmission scale assets to enhance the security of Britain’s energy network and reduce consumer bills. The acquisition of the Harker site represents a significant step towards the business’ goal of having around 3.5 GW/12 GWh of BESS in operation by 2030.

The project will draw on Zenobe’s experience implementing grid-forming inverters as seen at its Blackhillock site in Scotland – Europe’s largest battery project at the time of going live. This means the site can participate in multiple market ‘stacking’ services, allowing Zenobe to provide several strategic contributions to the GB grid – ensuring the lights stay on, the cost of energy stays down, and the grid doesn’t waste the renewable energy available.

Zenobe’s Global Director of Network Infrastructure, Semih Oztreves, said: “The Harker project marks another milestone in delivering the flexible, resilient energy infrastructure the UK needs to accelerate its transition to net zero. We’re excited to take forward the development of this strategically important site and are committed to engaging with the local community to ensure the project delivers meaningful benefits throughout its lifetime.

“Over the coming months, our team will be building our Route to Market and procurement strategy and look forward to engaging with the market on this. The site reflects our long-term commitment to developing, owning and operating battery solutions that support the energy transition without reliance on government subsidies.”

Daniel Mushin (Chief Investment Officer) and Jon Sheppard (Investment Manager), Innova, added: “The Harker project demonstrates how our development expertise has been helping to unlock clean energy infrastructure, and we’re delighted to continue working with Zenobe to accelerate the deployment of transmission scale BESS across the UK.

“We’re proud to have brought this project through its critical early stages of development, and we’re confident it will play an instrumental role in supporting a more resilient energy system.”

Max Stirling, Director – Energy & Infrastructure Advisory, JLL, commented: “We’re proud to have advised Innova on this landmark transaction. Early in the process Zenobe was quick to identify the exceptional quality of the Harker project – a testament to Innova’s development expertise in creating transmission-connected BESS assets that address critical grid infrastructure needs.

“Congratulations to Zenobe on this significant acquisition, we wish them every success as they take the project into construction. The scale of this transaction underscores the strong investor appetite for high-quality battery energy storage systems in Great Britain, reflecting the sector’s vital role in delivering the UK’s net zero ambitions.”

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