Battery storage sites deemed ‘formidable’ for Scotland’s energy future
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An £800 million deal which will create two further battery energy storage sites in Scotland – each of which are the largest in Europe – has been hailed as “formidable” by First Minister John Swinney. Investment fund manager Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) has announced it will build two more storage sites in addition to the one under construction in Coalburn, South Lanarkshire.
When the three sites are complete in the coming years, they will have a combined energy storage capacity of three gigawatt hours and will theoretically be able to power 4.5 million homes for two hours. The first site to the west of the M74, known as Coalburn 1, will be supplemented by another battery park on the eastern side of the motorway as well as another in Fife.
Each facility is made up of a number of enclosures housing lithium-iron-phosphate battery packs, as well as transformers connecting to the grid. Ministers and energy sector leaders say battery storage will play a key part in the rollout of renewables, as they store excess power generated by windfarms and help to balance the energy grid.
The batteries, which make up the bulk of the cost of the project, are being supplied by Canadian Solar but are manufactured in China. First Minister Mr Swinney and acting Scottish Energy Secretary Gillian Martin visited the construction site for Coalburn 1 on Wednesday. It is due to be connected to the grid in October.
