Sembcorp Energy UK (SEUK) has revealed plans to create a large battery energy storage system in the UK. The 360 MW battery will be deployed at its Wilton International site in Teesside as part of the company’s increasing battery storage portfolio. This and other such battery installations will help to ensure the power network’s resilience thereby allowing for the continued growth of renewables.
According to a company release, SEUK has accessible land and connections at the Wilton International site, allowing for rapid installation of the batteries. SEUK presently owns and runs 70 MW of batteries, with another 50 MW in the works and set to go live in early 2022. The units, which are part of one of the UK’s largest battery portfolios, can provide electricity and other services to the national grid in milliseconds, which is critical for maintaining a secure and reliable energy system that will facilitate the UK’s low-carbon transition.
In November 2021, Sembcorp Industries, a Singapore-based renewable energy company, acquired a 98 per cent stake in a 658 MW portfolio of operational wind and solar assets from GCN Capital Partners Infrastructure Fund III and its affiliates for $517 million through its 100 per cent subsidiary Sembcorp Energy (Shanghai). The assets are contracted and qualified for fixed feed-in tariffs under China’s renewable energy programme, and are located in energy demand areas such as Hebei, Henan, and Shandong provinces.
REGlobal’s Views: Sembcorp’s latest battery storage project will help the company expand its storage portfolio. Many large energy companies are planning massive capacity additions in this space so as to help balance the grid as penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources increases.
