Zenobē has reached financial close and begun construction on the first 200MW of a 300MW battery site in Blackhillock, Scotland.
Located between Aberdeen and Inverness, the project, which Zenobē says will be the first in the world to deliver stability services using a transmission-connected battery, represents an important milestone in the UK’s net zero transition.
It will significantly increase the uptake of renewable power, including from offshore wind farms at Viking and Beatrice, on to the nation’s electricity grid, it added.
When fully built, Blackhillock will be a 300MW/600MWh project.
It will be the first to provide the full suite of active and reactive power services in the world and will be the largest transmission connected battery in Europe when commissioned, Zenobē said.
Phase 1 of the project (200MW/400MW) is due to go live in summer 2024 with Phase 2 (an additional 100MW) due to go live in H2 2026.
The site is part of Zenobē’s recently announced £750m investment in Scotland, taking the company’s storage portfolio in the country to over 1GW.
The storage facility at Blackhillock is contracted to provide stability services to National Grid Electricity System Operator (NGESO) to improve the reliability of the UK’s increasingly renewable power system.
It will provide short-circuit level and inertia, essential for the grid to function efficiently as fossil fuel plants phase out, and ease network constraints by importing electricity at times of peak renewable generation.
The additional renewable energy resources and increased efficiency will accelerate energy independence and lower consumer bills by over £170m over 15 years, according to the company.
The project is financed by a £235m long-term debt facility structured by NatWest with funding comes from Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Rabobank, Santander UK, Siemens Financial Services through Siemens Bank and NatWest.
Co-founder and director of Zenobē James Basden said: “Our battery at Blackhillock will use cutting edge technology to provide essential services needed to lower consumer bills and bring more renewable energy onto the grid.
“By partnering with experts at Wärtsilä, H&MV, SMA Solar Technology AG and GE Grid Solutions, we look forward to bringing this project to fruition and accelerating the UK towards a zero-carbon energy system.”