NatPower plans to deliver £10bn worth of battery storage projects to the UK

RENEWABLES project developer NatPower has promised to invest £10bn (US$12.8bn) to deliver the UK’s largest portfolio of battery storage projects.

In an effort to speed up Britain’s transition to clean power by 2035, NatPower’s investment will be used to construct 60 GWh of battery storage, which could provide 15–20% of the UK’s energy storage needs by 2040.

The company, which has overseen the development of around 30 GW of natural power projects around the world, plans to submit planning applications for three battery storage “GigaParks” in 2024 and a further ten applications in 2025. It is also set to announce additional solar and wind projects later this year.

Battery storage energy systems (BESS) are devices that store energy generated from renewable sources like solar and wind, and which suppliers can use to control the release of energy.

With the energy sector continuing to feel the effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, battery storage systems have helped keep the UK’s energy delivery stable.

However, there is a lengthy backlog of energy projects waiting to connect to the grid, stretching as long as 10 years in some regions.

National Grid has attributed this backlog, which carries an electricity supply of almost 400 GW, to a “first-come, first-served system” that has encouraged developers to apply for connections with unfinished projects.

To alleviate the connections pipeline, NatPower plans to work with grid operators on the construction of new substations, earmarking £600m in investment. National Grid currently own and maintain 300 substations.

Stefano DM Sommadossi, CEO of NatPower UK, said: “To solve the bottlenecks that are slowing the shift to clean energy, we will drive investment into the grid itself, collaborating with grid operators to deliver more than 20% of the new substations required.”