EDF Renewables, Wärtsilä to Develop 50 MW/100 MWh Energy Storage in UK

Finnish company which manufactures and services power sources Wärtsilä has announced that it has signed a contract with EDF Renewables UK and Ireland to deliver a new grid-scale energy storage facility in the United Kingdom. The storage system will be delivered in Sundon, Bedfordshire.

The official statement of Wärtsilä held that the 50 MW/100 MWh project, which will form part of a new Energy Superhub in the region, will help to support the transition to a decarbonised electricity system and accelerate the UK’s net zero future. The order was included in Wärtsilä’s order book in the fourth quarter of 2022, and construction is expected to start in spring 2023.

The new 50 MW/100 MWh lithium-ion storage facility in Sundon can store enough electricity to power 100,000 homes for two hours, and it will support electric vehicle (EV) charging and the electrification of public transport.

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Wärtsilä said that the project will enable increased renewable energy integration and intermittency management, in addition to strengthening the resiliency of the electricity system, automatically charging and discharging to balance supply and demand.

Matthew Boulton, Director of Storage and Private Wire, EDF Renewables, said, “A renewable energy future is only made possible with a smart, flexible energy grid. That is why we are working with local councils to accelerate the rollout of Energy Superhubs, helping to unleash the potential of renewable energy and enable local people to reap the benefits of net zero through better access to zero carbon transport.”

Wärtsilä also claims to have provided its proprietary GridSolv Quantum system and GEMS Digital Energy Platform, in addition to the power conversion system and commissioning for the project.

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Wärtsilä said that GEMS provides the data and insights to instruct trading parties and performance for comprehensive asset management. The energy storage technology will enable balancing services for the UK grid, including electricity market trading and frequency response, with the capability to support local consumers such as EV charging stations during grid outages.

Jens Norrgård, Energy Business Director, Europe, Wärtsilä Energy, informed, “This contract strengthens Wärtsilä and EDF Renewables’ partnership, and demonstrates our joint commitment to supporting the UK’s decarbonisation efforts.” He further added, “Wärtsilä’s energy storage technology is an important part of the mosaic of flexible capacity needed to balance renewable energy. Alongside our other projects, Sundon is delivering on our global ambition to create clean power systems.”

Wärtsilä said that its installed energy storage technology base in the UK now exceeds 424 MWh. Its prior projects with EDF Renewables in Oxford and Kemsley in Kent were delivered in 2021, and two projects in Birmingham and Coventry are currently under construction.

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The group has also delivered a number of other energy storage projects in the island country that includes a 50 MW/100 MWh project first site for SSE in Salisbury, and an islanded-grid project to balance renewables in Lerwick, on the Shetland Islands.