Equinor, a Norwegian energy company, has reached a final investment decision for its Blandford Road battery storage project in the UK. Blandford Road, located in Dorset, is a 25MW/50MWh battery storage facility and the first to be built as part of a strategic partnership between Equinor and Noriker Power. Equinor purchased a 45 per cent ownership stake in the UK-based Noriker Power in December 2022.
Additionally, a framework for strategic cooperation between the two companies has enabled Equinor to directly participate in projects developed by Noriker. The project is anticipated to be operational in the third quarter of 2023, with construction at the Blandford Road site set to start in January. The project’s engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) will be managed by Grupotec Renewable, while Noriker will manage and develop it for Equinor. Once finished, the battery asset will be connected to the SSE distribution network, allowing it to provide grid services to SSE and National Grid and regulate power intermittency.
In July 2022, Equino agreed to purchase a 100 per cent stake in East Point Energy, a developer of battery storage in the US. East Point Energy, based in Charlottesville, Virginia, is developing 4.1 GW of battery storage facilities throughout the US East Coast. Beyond its current pipeline, the privately owned company has found additional growth potential.
