Pivot Power kickstarts fourth of 40 distributed storage sites across the UK

Pivot Power, a subsidiary of EDF Renewables, has started the development of a 50MW battery energy storage system in Sandwell, northwest of Birmingham, UK.

The 50MW/100MWh lithium-ion battery will be connected to National Grid’s transmission network to enable the integration of more renewable energy capacity for grid reliability and decarbonisation.

The project will store enough electricity to power over 100,000 households for 2 hours and will help address renewables intermittency and fluctuations of the network for stability.

The system will enable renewables to be stored during times when generation is high for use during times when demand is high, a use case that will help the UK to accelerate its net-zero transition, reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power generation, improve air quality and support sustainable economic growth.

The plant is part of a £41 million ($55.69 million) project which includes the development of an Energy Superhub, a network of storage systems that are connected to the transmissions system to deliver up to 2GW of storage capacity.

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The battery will be connected to the transmission network at National Grid’s Bustleholme substation. The storage system will also be used to power rapid electric vehicle charging systems in West Midrand.

A similar site is being developed in Coventry and is expected to come online in early 2022. Pivot Power has already activated two similar sites in Cowley and Kemsley as the company plans to establish 40 sites across the UK.

The projects are expected to help EDF Renewables to achieve its goal of adding 10GW of battery storage by 2035.

Battery storage is essential to enable greater use of renewable energy and meet the UK Government’s target to decarbonise the country’s electricity system by 2035. According to National Grid’s Future Energy Scenario for 2021, up to 13GW of electricity storage will be required in the UK by 2030 to support the increased installation of renewable generation.

Matt Allen, CEO of Pivot Power, said: “The movement towards zero-carbon energy is unstoppable and our technology provides the lynchpin to bring that to scale. Renewable energy and battery storage are complementary, interconnected and interdependent – we must have both to achieve net-zero. Our project at Sandwell will help to create the essential infrastructure for the UK to accelerate net-zero.”

Councillor Steve Melia, West Bromwich Town Lead at Sandwell Council, said: “Sandwell Council is committed to supporting renewable energy and empowering our community to live greener, more sustainable lives. Pivot Power’s site enables us to reach that goal, helping to support more renewable energy and meet the burgeoning demand for electric vehicle charging. The site is at the heart of a vibrant infrastructure area, made up of transport hubs, garages and service stations, and will help to create a more sustainable transport network.”