EDF Renewables secures planning for battery sites
EDF Renewables UK has secured planning approval for three new grid-scale battery sites in Kent, Norwich and Essex which will support the transition to a decarbonised electricity system and accelerate the UK’s net zero ambitions.
The developments will see a 57 MW/114 MWh lithium-ion battery storage facility in Braintree, Essex, expected to begin construction in early 2024, a 114 MW/228 MWh lithium-ion battery storage facility in Swainsthorpe, Norwich, also beginning in 2024 and supporting Norwich City Council’s commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, and a 50MW/100 MWh lithium-ion battery storage facility near Sellindge, Kent, which received consent in July and will support Kent on its own 2050 net-zero plans.
Currently, EDF Renewables UK has two 50 MW battery storage facilities operational in Kemsley and Oxford, with two more sites in the West Midlands becoming operational this autumn, and a further two sites currently in construction.
The Braintree, Norwich and Sellindge battery storage sites are co-located with nearby solar projects. All three projects will leverage the benefits of coupling renewable sources with battery storage systems to help power and stabilise the UK energy grid.
Simone Sullivan, Head of Storage at EDF Renewables UK said: “The approval of our Sellindge, Norwich and Braintree battery storage facilities is an active proof point of the growing momentum behind battery storage and we are really pleased with the progress we’ve been able to make over the summer. We are taking an important step towards creating a smarter, cleaner and more resilient electricity system that will enable the transition to renewables that we need as we look to tackle the climate crisis.
“What we’re doing is not only providing the battery technology needed to improve grid flexibility but also co-locating it near our planned solar farms – breaking new ground to ensure a zero-carbon energy system for these regions.”
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