SSE Renewables, a Scottish energy company, has made a final investment decision to build a battery energy storage system (BESS) project in the UK. This second BESS project by SSE, with a capacity of 150 MW/300 MWh, will be built in west Yorkshire, England, on the site of the former Ferrybridge coal-fired power plant. The coal-fired power station, which was once a significant aspect of the West Yorkshire countryside, was decommissioned in 2016.
The energy storage project’s construction is scheduled to start in late May 2023. The project is part of SSE Renewables’ £25 billion net zero acceleration initiative. By the end 2023, it is anticipated to be operational and connected to the grid in June 2024. The new project will supply flexible energy for Britain’s national grid and improve grid stability. SSE Renewables selected the Chinese electric equipment company Sungrow Power to provide the battery technology.
Furthermore, Manchester-based engineering company OCU Services will build the project. Sungrow will supply the project with its ESS PowerTitan system, which has been tailored for utility-scale energy storage. The system uses liquid-cooled thermal management and artificial intelligence (AI) monitoring of battery cells, which are claimed to safeguard and ensure a longer lifespan for the system. The direct-current-to-direct-current controller will also be able to charge and discharge the battery packs individually, increasing the overall system performance.
