Thrive Renewables has completed the commissioning of its biggest battery storage project to date, a 20MW asset based in Bristol, UK.
Now operational, the battery has the capacity to store and deliver 1.5 hours or 30MWh of electricity, helping provide the flexibility and balancing services required for the UK’s transition to net zero.
The company recently announced its ambition to double its generation capacity to over 180MW in the next five years.
This will see Thrive deliver on its already busy pipeline, which includes funding 192MW of new solar PV and battery storage through its £20m investment in a UK development portfolio.
Matthew Clayton, managing director of Thrive Renewables, said: “Battery storage is a critical technology for the UK’s energy transition, so we’re pleased to share that this 20MW project is now operational, helping to store clean electricity when abundant and making it available when demand peaks.
“Complementing our existing portfolio of wind, solar and hydro projects, battery storage also forms a key part of our diversification strategy – ensuring we benefit from a range of energy sources.”
In March 2023, Thrive became the first commercial battery owner to offer shared ownership to the local community, offering Bristol Energy Cooperative an opportunity to make a co-investment of up to 20%, the developer said.
Helping to ensure that the benefits of the UK’s energy transition are more widely accessible, the arrangement allows other local causes to benefit from a share of the revenues generated, it added.
Bringing together a number of Bristol-based businesses, Thrive acquired the project from developer, Aura Power, and appointed renewables consultancy, Everoze, as a technical advisor.
Trina Storage supplied the battery system, Flexitricity will act as the aggregator and the site will be operated by RES.