United Kingdom – The Blandford Road battery storage project in the south of the United Kingdom has received final investment decision approval from Equinor.
The Blandford Road project in Dorset, southern England, is a 25 MW / 50 MWh battery storage asset. Connecting to the SSE distribution network, the project will use CATL lithium-ion battery racks to control power intermittency, balance supply and demand, and provide grid services to both SSE and National Grid.
Construction will begin in January 2023, and the project is scheduled to be completed by the end of the third quarter of that year. It is the first project to come out of the strategic cooperation between Equinor and Noriker Power, and it will also be Equinor’s first commercial battery storage asset.
Investment in Noriker
In December 2021, Equinor purchased a 45 percent stake in Noriker Power Limited. Equinor has made an equity investment in Noriker, and the two companies also have a strategic collaboration framework that allows Equinor to take part in Noriker-led projects. The Blandford Road project is the first in Noriker’s pipeline to reach the point where an investment decision may be made.
Grupotec Renewable Limited has been contracted to provide engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services for the project’s realization, while Noriker has been contracted to manage and develop the project on Equinor’s behalf.
The British government just revealed their goal of having 95% of electricity be low carbon by 2030 in their Energy Security Strategy document. The development of storage infrastructure in the UK is crucial to achieving the Government’s goals of cleaner and more cheaper electricity. Battery storage will assist the UK overcome the intermittency problem and improve supply security as the country increases its use of renewable energy.
