ScottishPower is to spend up to £2bn in the UK in 2019 as it targets new sectors such as electric vehicle charging, smart grids and energy storage.
The plans include a 50MW battery storage project at its Whitelee wind farm in Scotland, the UK’s largest onshore project.
The large-scale battery project will be the first of a series of storage schemes, mainly located at windfarms and at strategic points on the network.
ScottishPower said its 2019 networks business would focus on continuing the company’s leading role in connecting renewables in Scotland, Wales and England.
Investments will also target the digitalisation of the grid including artificial intelligence systems that will control and balance the network in areas with high penetration of low carbon technologies to enable the widespread use of electric vehicles.
The company also revealed plans for a new public electric charging service based within the company’s retail division.
The new business will install fast chargers across the UK at strategic commercial locations from winter 2019.
ScottishPower chief executive Keith Anderson said: “Now that we have sold our gas power stations our growth plans are about cleaner and smarter power that will help the UK to decarbonise faster and we have set out the part we will play in the transition to electrify the economy where it matters most now – in transport and in heating.”
Between 2018 and 2022, ScottishPower will spend £6bn in the UK with 40% on new renewable energy generation, 42% on smarter enhanced networks and 15% on innovative services and products for customers.
In renewables, ScottishPower set out plans to develop a 1GW pipeline of onshore wind projects by 2025.
The company is currently building the 714MW East Anglia 1 offshore wind farm and plans to start construction of East Anglia 2 in 2024 and East Anglia 1 North a year later.