Connected Energy is set to develop what it describes as the UK’s most advanced second-life EV battery testing facility. This project will be established at Scottow Enterprise Park, near the company’s technical centre, following the approval of planning permission by the North Norfolk District Council. Construction is underway, with the site expected to be operational by mid-2026.
The development will also host Connected Energy’s first wholly-owned and operated second-life Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) site, comprising a 5 MWh system. The company plans to test and integrate batteries from multiple electric bus and truck manufacturers while operating the site as a grid-connected asset that trades energy and provides grid services.
“This development marks the next step in Connected Energy’s growth. Having successfully shown how second-life BESS can work on a commercial scale, we are now moving to owning and operating grid-scale storage sites, with our first site also functioning as an advanced test facility,” commented Matthew Lumsden, CEO at Connected Energy.
The company aims to demonstrate the commercial viability of reusing EV batteries in stationary storage once they are unsuitable for vehicles. They believe that redeploying batteries into grid-scale systems can extend their working life, support renewable generation, and create additional revenue streams before recycling.
The £2 million project is supported by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK, as part of a broader initiative to improve EV battery reuse and recycling.
Second-life battery storage has long been considered a route to derive more value from EV batteries, especially as heavy-duty vehicles begin to contribute to the volume of packs coming out of service. The challenge has been transitioning from individual demonstrations to repeatable deployments that work across different battery types and histories.
Connected Energy’s Scottow site is positioned as a step in that direction. By testing and integrating batteries from various manufacturers and then operating the resulting storage system in the market, the company seeks to build a clearer picture of performance, reliability, and revenue potential.
The 5 MWh BESS at Scottow will provide ‘hard evidence’ of what repurposed batteries can deliver in real grid service, rather than purely in laboratory or pilot conditions. While the company has previously delivered second-life systems for other organisations, this is its first project that it will both own and operate.
Connected Energy intends to use the operational data from Scottow to refine how second-life batteries are configured and managed, with a view to larger deployments as more EV batteries reach the end of life. “Insights from this multi-battery 5 MWh project will shape future, larger deployments,” added Matthew. “Our goal is to optimise what can be achieved with second-life batteries. We will gather extensive data to support a scalable commercial model for large-scale sites as more second-life batteries become available.”
EV batteries can still retain significant usable capacity even when they are no longer ideal for vehicle performance requirements. For grid and behind-the-meter storage, where the power and energy demands differ, these batteries can potentially provide useful service for several more years.
In theory, this extension could ease pressure on raw material demand, improve lifecycle emissions, and help make EV batteries more cost-effective by extracting additional value. In practice, second-life projects have to overcome technical and commercial barriers, including inconsistent battery conditions, differing form factors, and the cost and complexity of testing, integration, and ongoing management.
Connected Energy’s approach at Scottow is to make the testing and integration capability a core part of a working grid-scale site. If successful, it could provide a model for how second-life systems are engineered and validated as the UK’s EV fleet and its associated battery supply chain continue to mature.
The company states that the Scottow hub will focus on batteries from electric buses and trucks, expected to become a significant source of packs as fleet electrification accelerates. Heavy-duty batteries are also likely to have different usage profiles from passenger vehicles, making robust testing and integration processes particularly important if they are to be repurposed at scale.
