Consent granted to InterGen’s new battery project in Essex, England

The £200 million project is set to provide at least 320 MW/640 MWh of capacity, with the potential to expand to 1.3 GWh – more than ten times the size of the largest battery currently in operation in the UK and set to be one of the world’s largest.

The battery will provide fast-reacting power and system balancing with an initial two-hour duration, and is a significant piece of infrastructure on the UK’s journey to net zero.

When fully charged, the battery could power up to 300 000 homes. However, it will mostly be used to support and stabilise existing electricity supplies.

The ongoing growth of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar is critical to the UK achieving its ambitions to reach net zero emissions by 2050. However, these sources only generate electricity when the wind blows or sun shines, and this may not be when power is most needed by the grid.

This situation has led to a significant growth in the use of batteries to support the electricity system, since these can store the renewable energy generated by wind and solar for deployment when it is most needed.

Construction on the Gateway project would likely begin in 2022, becoming operational in 2024. InterGen is also exploring a further large battery project at its site in Spalding, Lincolnshire, England, which would be 175 MW/ 350 MWh. The planning permissions are already in place for this.

Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/energy-storage/30112020/consent-granted-to-intergens-new-battery-project-in-essex-england/