EDF Renewables Drives UK Energy Ambitions with 300MW Battery Storage

August 20, 2024: EDF Renewables UK is poised to bring over 300MW of battery storage online, playing a crucial role in the UK’s journey towards a decarbonised grid. This strong pipeline of battery storage projects signifies a major advancement in accelerating the energy transition.

EDF Renewables UK currently has six projects under construction, all expected to go live within the next 12 months. Among these are a 57MW battery in Braintree, Essex, and a 47.5MW battery in Indian Queens, Saint Austell. A major milestone was reached in mid-July with the successful energisation of a 52MW battery in Sundon, Bedfordshire. Additionally, Dorset Council has recently approved planning for a 47.5MW battery near Mannington, Dorset. Altogether, the 313MW of battery storage capacity is expected to deliver enough power to supply over 400,000 homes for two hours.

In line with the UK Government’s ambitious target of achieving a zero-carbon electricity system by 2030, there is a pressing need to scale up renewable energy capacity. This includes tripling solar capacity to 50GW, quadrupling offshore wind to 55GW, and doubling onshore wind to 35GW by the end of the decade.

Battery storage is essential for ensuring a stable and reliable supply of clean energy, as it stores surplus renewable energy during peak production times and releases it when demand is high. To meet the 2050 net zero goals outlined by the Electricity System Operator (ESO), it is estimated that between 20-30GW of battery storage will be required by 2030.

In the company’s press release, Simone Sullivan, Head of Solar, Storage and Private Wire at EDF Renewables UK said, “Our upcoming project pipeline will strengthen the UK’s capacity to integrate more renewables, and will allow the grid to be more flexible and resilient by managing electricity supply and demand.

Battery storage is critical to enhancing our energy security and to achieving the new government’s 2030 targets. We have a strong momentum behind our projects, helping the UK to reap the benefits of cost-effective, clean renewable energy and a modern, flexible grid.”

These projects add to EDF Renewables UK’s existing portfolio of more than 150MW of battery energy storage systems already in operation in Oxfordshire, Kent and the West Midlands. In total, EDF Renewables UK plans to deliver up to 2GW of transmission-connected battery storage, with more than 400MW consented and a further 313MW already in construction.

EDF Renewables UK's commitment to delivering over 300MW of battery storage projects underscores its pivotal role in advancing the UK's energy transition. By enhancing grid flexibility and supporting the integration of renewable energy, these projects are vital steps toward achieving the nation's ambitious zero-carbon goals by 2030. With a strong pipeline and continued momentum, EDF Renewables is set to play a key role in shaping a cleaner, more resilient energy future for the UK.