UK'S Largest Battery Ready To Balance The Grid

Gresham House Energy Storage Fund and flexible energy specialist Flexitricity
have announced that the UK's largest battery is now live.

Edinburgh based Flexitricity is optimising the Gresham House c.50MW / 75MWh battery, located in Thurcroft, South
Yorkshire, generating revenue for the site while helping National Grid ESO
balance supply and demand.

The asset went live in the Balancing Mechanism (BM) Reserve from Storage
Trial and was then live in the BM immediately afterwards. The BM is a key tool National
Grid ESO uses to balance supply and demand on the electricity system in real time.
Through the BM, providers can offer to increase or decrease their generation or
demand to help balance the system. Flexitricity monitors the BM round the clock
from its 24/7 control room, and remotely alters the charge and discharge
profile of the Thurcroft battery.

The project will also trade the battery in the wholesale
markets and tender for frequency response services to help meet the nation's
energy needs and optimise revenue for the site. Flexitricity took the asset into National
Grid ESO's new Dynamic Containment frequency response service on day one and
has been securing daily contracts at high value ever since.

The UK now
boasts around 1GW installed battery storage capacity and the market needs
further growth to facilitate a net zero energy system.

Andy Lowe, Director at Flexitricity,
said:

“Flexibility is a hugely important part
of decarbonising the grid and batteries are an excellent source of flexibility. Investors are getting
comfortable with the business case for energy storage and it's great this year
to be seeing a number of large batteries coming onto the system, providing more
of the rapid response flexibility National Grid ESO needs to maintain system
stability.

“In today's markets, maximising value for battery assets
requires a huge amount of expertise and agility. We have a proven track record
here, and we're delighted that Gresham House has entrusted us to optimize a
number of their sites, including the flagship Thurcroft battery.

“I'm glad to say we're off to a great start and
have been able to optimise revenue for the battery across a range of markets,
including securing high prices in the first ever tender round of the newly
launched Dynamic Containment service.”

Ben Guest, Managing Director at
Gresham House, said:

“We have plans to grow our energy
storage portfolio, aiming for over 350MW in operational assets by the end of
2020. Great Britain needs at least 10GW in the next few years to enable the orderly
transition to a renewables-led electricity market.

In turn, we aim to contribute meaningfully
to the UK's 2050 net zero ambitions, while achieving strong returns for our
investors.

We divide our storage projects
between a range of optimisation partners and decided to entrust Flexitricity
with Thurcroft having worked with them successfully on a previous project.”