Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK has been appointed principal contractor for the UK’s largest battery energy storage system at Thorpe Marsh in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.
The scheme will be capable of exporting more than two million MWh annually, equal to the electricity needs of around 785,000 homes. Fidra Energy is targeting operation of the multi-million-pound project by mid-2027.
Jones Bros will carry out more than 500,000m3 of cut and fill earthworks using existing pulverised fly ash and complete close to 4km of deep surface water drainage. A team of up to 60, including apprentices and trainees, will be deployed, with activity due to complete by the end of 2025.
Senior contract manager Dafydd Elis said: “Battery storage is vital to the UK’s energy transition, providing important stability for the integration of renewables into the grid. Jones Bros is currently undertaking a number of these schemes, and we look forward to working on what will be the country’s biggest, and one of the leading BESS developments in the whole of Europe.”
Thorpe Marsh received the go-ahead after Fidra secured equity investment from EIG and the National Wealth Fund, which will also help finance a second BESS project at West Burton in Nottinghamshire. Together, the two sites will provide up to 11% of the additional storage capacity required under the government’s Clean Power 2030 mission.
Fidra chief executive Chris Elder said: “Thorpe Marsh is one of the most exciting infrastructure projects in the world and a landmark transaction in the energy sector. The investment by EIG and the NWF is testament to the outstanding team at Fidra and everyone who has supported us on the project.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “This investment is a perfect example of how we are pulling every lever at our disposal to grow the economy to put more money in people’s pockets – building on our achievement of being the fastest growing nation in the G7 for the first half of this year.”
Energy secretary Ed Miliband added: “It’s fantastic to see the National Wealth Fund breathing new life into a former coal site – turning it into a cutting-edge battery hub that will power thousands of British homes and businesses with clean energy from wind and solar. Every battery we build boosts Britain’s energy security, reduces our exposure to fossil fuel price shocks and drives us towards clean power by 2030 – all part of our Plan for Change.”
Established in the 1950s, Jones Bros owns one of the largest plant fleets in the UK and employs around 500 people, with nearly 40% of its workforce former apprentices.