In the last part of a short series on batteries, we report on the UK battery project which is said to be vital for balancing the country’s electricity demand.
Muriel Cozier
24 February 2020
Work has begun on what is said to be Europe’s biggest battery. The 100MW Minety power storage project, which is being built in southwest England, UK, will comprise two 50MW battery storage systems.
The project is backed by China Huaneng Group and Chinese sovereign wealth fund CNIC. Shell Energy Europe Limited (SEEL) has agreed a multi-year power offtake agreement which will enable the oil and gas major, along with its recently acquired subsidiary Limejump, to optimise the use of renewable power in the area. The project’s Principle Contractor is g2 Energy and completion is slated for the end of 2020. When fully charged the 100MW battery would hold enough electricity to power around 10 000 home for a day before needing to be recharged.
In a statement David Wells, Vice President of SEEL said ‘Projects like this will be vital for balancing the UK’s electricity demand and supply as wind and solar power play bigger roles in powering our lives. Batteries are uniquely suited to optimising power supplies as the UK moves towards net-zero carbon system.’
Limejump, which Shell acquired during the first quarter of 2019, is a UK-based energy technology company. The company manages the largest network of batteries in the UK and will optimise the use of Europe’s biggest battery through what it described as ‘its pioneering Virtual Power Platform’.
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