ABB and Ecotricity enter grid scale battery project

The first-of-its-kind collaboration between the two companies is expected to help pave the way for National Grid’s journey to Net Zero by 2050.

ABB’s 10MW/20MWh Li-Ion grid scale Battery Energy Storage Solution (BESS) will be installed at Ecotricity’s Alveston wind farm in 2023. It is expected to provide a material addition to the company’s renewable energy offering, and highlight the potential of short-term fast response technologies like BESS to provide additional stability to the National Grid.

The lithium-ion batteries will be supplied by KORE Power and the BESS will be controlled by ABB’s eStorage OS energy management system.

In a statement, Calogero Saeli, global product group manager, ABB Electrification Distribution Solutions, said: “As the UK continues its journey to net zero, ABB is excited to partner with Ecotricity on this 10MW grid scale battery project, which will help to stabilise the grid. BESS is key to unlocking some of the challenges ahead, providing a highly effective way to capture clean energy and balance energy generation against demand to build grid resilience.”

The installation of ABB’s eStorage MAX scalable BESS will help Ecotricity to manage its exposure to high spot-trading energy costs, as well as offering flexibility response to the National Grid. The BESS will be integrated with Ecotricity’s Smart Grid platform and will use the company’s proprietary optimisation model to despatch the battery energy storage according to system needs.

Mark Meyrick, head of smart grids, Ecotricity, said: “We’ve been working towards our first grid scale battery as we’ve been developing our Smart Grid platform – and we’re looking forward to taking this next step with ABB.  This project is a first for us and will enable us to manage demand for renewable energy, as well as develop a greater understanding of the deployment of storage for flexibility requirements.”